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5 Things That Are Worth Knowing About O Blood Type
Human blood was first classified into 4 well-known types in the first decade of the 1900s by Karl
Landsteiner, an Austrian physician. It’s no secret that it’s important to know one’s blood type for
emergency situations, as a blood match is crucial for safe transfusions. It turns out, however, that blood
characteristics can also influence our health.
1. Type O blood characteristics
There are 4 main blood types determined by the presence
or absence of antigens in the red cells’ surface and antibodies

in the plasma. In addition to the A and B antigens, there
is a protein called Rh factor which can be either present
or absent. Altogether, this makes up 8 blood types: A+, A-, B+, B-, O+, O-,
AB+ and AB-. Type O blood has neither A nor B antigens in the red blood cells but has both A
and B antibodies in the plasma. Type O+ is the most common blood type which accounts for

37% — 53% of people in different ethnic and racial groups.
2. People with type O blood are universal donor
People with type O+ blood can donate their blood to all 4 groups, but only to people with
the RH positive subgroup (O+, A+, B+, AB+). Red cells of O- type can be transfused to all
8 subgroups, which makes it a universal blood type that is always needed for emergency
transfusions. Type O- blood is transfused in emergency cases when it is important to save the

life of a patient before the crossmatch test is completed. What’s more, is type O- blood is the
safest for newborn babies whose immune systems are under-developed.

3. Type O blood individuals can receive the O blood only
People with type O+ blood can receive blood from people with both O+ and O- types, while

those who have type O- blood can only receive the same O- type blood. In emergency cases
when type O- blood is in short supply, it can be substituted with type O+ blood.
4. Health Risks
According to scientists, there are ways in which blood biochemistry determines our health. Even
though the influence of blood types on our health is still under research, there are certain
theories on health risks and benefits for people with different blood types. It is considered,
in particular, that people with O blood type can be more susceptible to some bacterial and viral

infections than other blood groups, including severe ones like plague, cholera, mumps, and
tuberculosis. Some studies also show that blood type O individuals have a 35% higher incidence
of duodenal ulcers compared to people with A, B, and AB blood types. Moreover, men with
blood O type may be prone to obesity compared to men with other blood types.

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