Researched
Blood groups and transfusion
Karl Landsteiner found the ABO blood groups, making blood transfusion safe.
Open in the interactive tree →Early transfusions often killed because incompatible blood clumps. Landsteiner identified the ABO groups in 1901 (Nobel Prize 1930), and blood banks followed from World War I and the 1930s. Safe transfusion supports surgery, childbirth, trauma care and transplantation.
Prerequisites
- Anatomy and blood circulation1543
- Hygiene and antisepsis1867
- Antibodies and serum therapy1890Landsteiner found blood groups by mixing one person's serum with another's red cells
Unlocks
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