Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 25, 2026

Study of Experimental Organ Donation Models for Lung Transplantation
Published on: March 15, 2024
[Blood donation in the light of anthropology]
1Laboratoire d'éthique médicale et de médecine légale, EA 4569 université Paris-Descartes, 75006 Paris, France; Département de sciences humaines et sociales, université Paris-Sorbonne, 75006 Paris, France; 11, rue de l'Église, 80700 Gruny, France.
Abstract:
In his well-known Essai sur le don, French anthropologist Marcel Mauss has shown that in all societies, donation and exchange of gifts are part of people's commitments. Although systematically denied, that obligation is one of the main sources of sociability. In this respect, blood donation can be considered as a very common act, except that, since blood comes from human body, that act is, at the same time, very special and meaningful.
Related Concept Videos
Blood Transfusion
Blood Transfusion Overview
A blood transfusion is a medical procedure used to replace blood lost due to injury, surgery, or to treat conditions such as anemia or cancer. During a transfusion, donor blood is...
Blood Transfusion and Agglutination
History
The history of blood transfusion dates back to the 17th century, when early attempts were made in animals. In 1818 James Blundell, a British doctor, performed the first successful human blood transfusion. Later in 1900, Karl...
The ABO Blood Group
Antigens in the ABO Blood Group System
Antigens are substances that can trigger an immune response, leading to the production of antibodies. In the ABO blood group system,...
Bone Marrow Sampling and Transplants
The transplant begins with high doses of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, which aim to destroy...
Blood Typing
Antigens are protein molecules that reside on the surface of red blood cells (RBCs). The ABO and Rh blood typing systems target...
Blood Types
ABO blood group
ABO antigens are glycoproteins encoded by genes present on...

