Is One Blood Group Better Than Others?

Mystery Hour Question

Is one blood group more superior than another? Is a group more efficient than any other?
Sam, Brockley

Answer

** Definitive **
Name: Mark, Lewisham
Qualification: Blood-giving hero
Answer: I am O-Negative and my blood can be used by anybody. But an O-Neg person couldn’t be given O-Positive, as their blood would clot. If you’re AB, you can take any blood. So O-Neg and AB are the best blood groups!

** Professional Definitive **
Name: Glenn, Twickenham
Qualification: Doctor
Answer: There are four recognised groups – O, A, B and AB – which refer to the marker (antigens) carried on the surface of the blood group - A carries the A antigens etc. B the B antigens and other cells recognise A antigens as the enemy, so carry anti-A. Blood cells of the type O carry no antigens, so can go anywhere, meaning if you put them into any other blood group, there’s nothing to upset any antibodies. So O-negative blood is the type we want people to give most of all. Type AB can take any blood.