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Rhnull, the Rarest Blood Type on Earth, Has Been Called the "Golden Blood"

There are eight common blood types. Keyword there? Common. If what you know about blood stops right around there, then this is all going to escalate very quickly. There are literally millions of varieties of blood types, and the rarest one is shared by fewer than 45 people on Earth. Talk about exclusive.

Easy As A, B, O

The ins and outs of blood types are way more complicated than you probably want them to be (or maybe that's just us?), but here's a relatively quick crash course. We are filled with red blood cells that carry oxygen through our bodies. Antigens cover these cells like sprinkles on a donut. The semblance of antigens on your red blood cells are…

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 The magic of the world's rarest blood type

Only one in every six million people have the Rh null blood type. Now researchers are trying to grow it in the laboratory in the hope it could save lives. Blood transfusions have transformed modern medicine. If we are ever unlucky enough to be injured or need serious surgery, blood that has been donated by others can be life-saving. But not everyone is able to benefit from this remarkable procedure. People with rare blood types struggle to find donated blood that will match their own.

Articles of Interest

The man with the golden blood

Meet the donors, patients, doctors and scientists involved in the complex global network of rare – and very rare – blood.

Golden blood: The rarest blood in the world

We explore the history of blood types and how they are classified to find out what makes the Rh-null type important to science and dangerous for those who live with it.

Rare Blood: Rh null

If you opened this post hoping to read something new about Rh negative blood, you’re in the wrong place. This article is about incredibly rare blood that doesn’t have the Rh system or its antigens. Null means “nothing” and is vastly different from Rhd blood. Rh null blood means the gene for the entire Rh system is missing. Didn’t think that was possible for someone to have and live? Think again.

Rhnull: The Rarest Blood Type on Earth.

I would rather be in the group of people with common blood type. Safety issues...

The Most Precious Blood on Earth

For people with very rare types, obtaining lifesaving blood can involve a complex network of donors and doctors that stretches across the globe.