Does a Blood Transfusion Make You a Genetic Chimera?
What does your Blood Test mean?
Finally, you can understand what the doctors are not telling you. Take a photo or PDF of your test and upload now!
Let me tell you something, young one. Just because you receive a blood transfusion doesn’t mean you suddenly become part Italian or any other nationality. Your DNA is unique to you, and a pint of someone else’s blood isn’t going to change that. Red blood cells, which make up most of your blood, don’t even have DNA, so that part of the blood won’t affect any DNA tests.
Even if you receive white blood cells from a transfusion, which do contain DNA, they’re not going to stick around forever. Those donor cells will gradually die off and be replaced by your own cells in a few weeks. So, if you’re thinking about dropping blood at a crime scene and getting away with it using this logic, think again! The DNA results will still point back to you, not the donor.
Now, I know the idea of becoming a real-life genetic chimera sounds fascinating, but it’s not as simple as just getting a transfusion. It typically takes something like a bone marrow transplant to have a lasting change in your blood DNA. Organ transplants might retain the donor’s DNA in the organ itself, but your overall genetic makeup remains yours.
So, dear one, you can rest easy knowing that receiving a blood transfusion won’t turn you into a mix of someone else’s heritage. You’ll still be uniquely you – quirks and all!
