There are three major kinds of donations. An allogeneic (also called homologous) donation is when a donor gives blood for storage at a blood bank for transfusion to an unknown recipient. A directed or replacement donor donation is when a person, often a family member, donates blood for transfusion to a specific individual. The third kind is a person that has blood stored that will eventually be transfused back, usually after surgery. This is called an autologous donation. __
