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What is tricky about transplants and transfusions?
Each of your cells carries molecules called antigens on their surface, which identify them as part of your body. Cells from someone else's body will have different antigens, so your immune system will treat them as if they were invading germs. To carry out blood transfusions or organ transplants, doctors must try and find a donor whose antigens are as similar as possible to those of the patient.
When carrying out organ transplants, doctors must find a donor whose tissue type most closely matches that of the patient.
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