The ABO blood group system, the basic classification of human blood into compatible types, was identified in 1900 and 1901 by the Austrian physician Karl Landsteiner, who found that mixing blood from different individuals could cause red blood cells to clump together and traced the reaction to distinct A, B and O blood types. The discovery explained the often fatal reactions that had plagued earlier transfusion attempts and made safe transfusion possible for the first time by matching donor and recipient blood types.
Facts
Discovery Year DiscovererKarl Landsteiner, working in Vienna, identified the ABO blood groups in 1900 and 1901 and received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1930 for the discovery; the rarer AB group was identified shortly after by his colleagues Alfred von Decastello and Adriano Sturli. 2 Classification
Type/Classification Connections
Associated With
Discovered By
Landsteiner discovered the ABO blood group system (1900-1901) before co-discovering the Rh factor; deepens the atlas's pre-existing Blood Groups entity.
Source Wikipedia: Rh Blood Group System
Sources
1. Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.entity description, Blood GroupsQuote, entity description, Blood Groups
The ABO blood group system, the basic classification of human blood into compatible types, was identified in 1900 and 1901 by the Austrian physician Karl Landsteiner, who found that mixing blood from different individuals could cause red blood cells to clump together and traced the reaction to distinct A, B and O blood types.
2. The Greatest Benefit to Mankind: A Medical History of Humanity
Roy Porter, W. W. Norton and Company, 1997
Wikipedia: Rh Blood Group System
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.