What Does Your Blood Type Mean?

Hopefully we all know our blood type, I’m O negative, this is very important information if you're ever in need of a blood transfusion. But what does your blood type even mean? We generally associate blood types with three different letters A, B, O, and by four main categories, A, B, AB, O. An individual with type A blood has A antigens on the surface of their red blood cells. Their plasma contains anti-B antibodies, which would attack any B antigens attempting to enter the type A blood person. This means if someone who possesses type A blood receives type B blood during a procedure, the body would reject the blood transfusion. If you have type B blood your red blood cell surface contains B antigens and would not receive type A antigens. If someone, like myself, has type O blood, we have O antigens on our white blood cells and we have antibodies that would attack both A and B antigens. People with type O blood are considered “universal doners”. We can donate to anyone, A, B, AB and O. However individuals with type O blood can only receive type O blood. People with type AB, on the other hand, are universal receivers, they can receive A, B, AB, and O blood types. O positive is the most frequently occuring blood type and is in high demand for that reason. O negative is in the highest demand since it is universal as anyone can receive O negative blood, yet it is one of the most rare blood types.

https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-types.html

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/218285#risks