In 1900, it was discovered that inherited differences in people's red cells were the cause of many of the incompatibilities seen with transfusions. Four blood types were identified. During World War I, when human blood was needed for transfusions for wounded soldiers, studies of how to preserve and transport blood began.

Not until World War II, however, did the development of effective preservative solutions make blood transfusions widely and safely available. There have been many advances since then, including the discovery of additional types of blood such as the Rh positive and Rh negative classifications.

Today, thanks to these advances, full utilization is made of nearly every blood donation. Elements of blood can be separated by centrifugation. Plasma can be preserved by freezing. Each blood element can be used to treat different diseases.

Blood is now tested for diseases it may carry, and any blood testing positive for a disease is destroyed.

Millions of times each year in the United States, human blood is required to save the lives of people suffering from accidents and disease. There is no way to manufacture human blood outside the body. That is why Blood Bank of Alaska plays such a vital role in the healthcare of our region.