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In honor of @RedCross #BloodDonorMonth, #HematologyTweetstory 15 is about blood groups: how they got their names. Most people know of ABO & Rh, but there are >35 (and counting!) blood group systems recognized by @ISBTCO. Antigen image: Williams text 9e. Bloodmobile:@DanaFarber./1 
Of course, blood groups didn't evolve just to make transfusion unsafe & create work for blood banks. The antigens have real physiologic functions (Table: Dacie & Lewis). There are also weird epi associations, eg O blood is tastier to mosquitoes & lowers von Willebrand factor./2
Transfusions have a long & complicated history, stretching back to Richard Lower in England and Jean-Baptiste Denys in France in the 1660s. Blood typing & grouping, however, clearly began with #KarlLandsteiner (1868-1943) in Vienna in 1900-1901. (R image source: Blausen staff) /3
