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ABO blood-group system

ABO blood-group system extract from Britannica Online.

Classification of human blood according to whether red blood cells (erythrocytes) have or lack the inherited antigens called A (including A1 and A2) and B on their surface. Blood can be type O (lacking both), type A (having only A), type B (having only B), or type AB (having both). The ABO antigens make certain blood types incompatible for transfusion. They are developed well before birth and remain through life. The frequencies of blood groups vary among different racial groups and in different geographic areas. Certain diseases are rarer in persons with particular blood groups.

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