Karl Landsteiner (1868 - 1943)
Austrian chemist Karl Landsteiner discovered what he called
the ABC
human blood type system in 1900, which led to the first
successful blood transfusions between persons of
identical blood type in 1907. He also participated in
discovery of the Poliomyelitis virus in 1909, and
after he moved to the United States discovered the MN and
P blood type systems. For this work, he was awarded
the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1930.
The ABC system was renamed the ABO system, and was demonstrated in 1911 to be inherited as a three-allele system, with the A and B alleles co-dominant, and each dominant to O. As the O allele does not produce any surface antigens, persons with Type O blood are "universal donors".
The ABC system was renamed the ABO system, and was demonstrated in 1911 to be inherited as a three-allele system, with the A and B alleles co-dominant, and each dominant to O. As the O allele does not produce any surface antigens, persons with Type O blood are "universal donors".