From my understanding, blood type A has A antigens and B antibodies.
Blood type AB has A and B antigens and no antibodies.
If someone donates type A to type AB, wouldn't the antibody B from type A attack the antigens B from AB???
I know I am looking at this incorrectly but what am I doing wrong!!!
I know my reasoning is flawed but I just can't figure out in what sense is it flawed.
once again, if I apply my logic...
type O has no antigens and A and B antibodies. IF you donate type O to type A, B, or AB, it wouldn't work! cuz the A and B antibodies from type O will attack the antigens from A/B/AB.
BUT THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE because type O is the universal DONOR!!
sorry, I am just frustrated about my flawed logic :(
You're right, blood type A has A antigens and B antibodies, while blood type AB has both A and B antigens and no antibodies.
In the scenario where someone with blood type A donates to someone with blood type AB, it may seem counterintuitive that the B antibodies present in the donated blood do not attack the B antigens in the recipient's blood. However, this is because of the principle of agglutination.
Agglutination is the clumping together of blood cells in response to the interaction of antibodies and antigens. In the case of blood transfusions, if the recipient's blood contains antibodies against antigens present in the donated blood, agglutination occurs and can lead to potentially life-threatening complications.
In the case of blood type A donating to blood type AB, the B antigens in the recipient's blood are not attacked by the B antibodies in the donated blood because the A antigens on the donor's red blood cells suppress the production of B antibodies in the recipient's body. The A antigens essentially inhibit the recipient's immune system from mounting an immune response against the B antigens.
So, in summary, although it may seem like the B antibodies in type A blood would attack the B antigens in type AB blood, the presence of A antigens in the donor's blood prevents the recipient's immune system from reacting against those B antigens and avoids agglutination.