Blood Collection

Most people who give blood donate what we call "whole blood," meaning all of the components of blood are collected in a single bag to be separated in our component production lab. (The components of blood are Red Blood Cells, Platelets, Plasma and White Blood Cells.)

In addition to whole blood donation, there are ways to donate specific components, such as platelets or a double unit of red cells. In contrast to whole blood donation, this type of donation allows the donor to give only the desired component and have the remaining blood components return to their body during the donation process. This happens through a process called apheresis, a Greek word meaning "a taking away." (Because the process of separating the components is handled by a small machine at the side of the donor, this type of donation is also referred as "automation.")

Please use the links below to learn more about the different types of blood donation.

Whole Blood Donation
Automated (apheresis) Donation
  -Donating Double Red Cells
  -Donating Platelets
Donor Eligibility

To learn about the process of donating blood