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The importance of blood donation and transfusion

Blood transfusion is the process through which patients receive extra blood. Blood from a donor or from the patient is transfused into the patient’s body to increase blood volume.
» Read more about blood transfusion.

A, B or O: What is a blood type?

The ABO blood groups are made up of 4 types of blood: A, B, AB and O. An individual’s ABO blood type is determined by the hereditary presence or absence of the antigens A and B on the surfaces of red blood cells.
» Read more about blood types.

What do your blood test results mean?

A full blood count is used to obtain a count of the blood cells in a sample of blood. Abnormal numbers of a specific type of blood cell may be indicative of specific problems.
» Use the full blood count evaluation tool.

What is blood and why is it so important?

Blood has three main functions: transport, protection and regulation. It consists of plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
» Read more about blood function and composition.

Artificial blood substitutes

Dr Nicholas Wickham explains the importance of blood and blood products. He talks about the advantages of artificial blood substitutes, and the current substitutes available.
» Watch a video about artificial blood substitutes.

3D animation on blood transfusion

The blood circulating in the body is made up of several components. A transfusion is the administration of blood or blood components through a catheter.
» Watch an animation about blood and platelet transfusion.