| Physiology. a classification of human blood based on the presence on the surface of red blood cells of one or both of two specific antigens, designated A and B, or their absence, designated O: every person has one of four possible inherited blood types, A, B, AB, or O, and has antibodies circulating in the blood that clump with any antigen that is not of that type, persons with type O thus being able to donate blood devoid of the antigens for transfusion to types A, B, and AB but able to receive only blood of type O. |
ABO system  (ā'bē-ō')  n. A classification system for human blood that identifies four major blood types based on the presence or absence of two antigens, A and B, on red blood cells. The four blood types (A, B, AB, and O, in which O designates blood that lacks both antigens) are important in determining the compatibility of blood for transfusion. |
ABO system n.
A classification system for human blood that identifies four major blood types based on the presence or absence of two antigens, A and B, on red blood cells. The four blood types (A, B, AB, and O, in which O designates blood that lacks both antigens) are important in determining the compatability of blood for transfusion.
| ABO system (ā'bē-ō') Pronunciation Key
A classification system for human blood that identifies four major blood types based on the presence or absence of two antigens, A and B, on red blood cells. The four blood types (A, B, AB, and O, in which O designates blood that lacks both antigens) are important in determining the compatibility of blood for transfusion. |