1. An individual from whom blood, tissue, or an organ is taken for transplantation. 2. A compound that will transfer an atom or a radical to an acceptor; e.g., methionine is a methyl d.; glutathione is a glutamyl d.. 3. An atom that readily yields electrons to an acceptor; e.g., nitrogen, which will donate both electrons to a shared pool in forming a coordinate bond. [L. dono, pp. donatus, to donate, to give]
- hydrogen d. a metabolite from which hydrogen is removed (by a dehydrogenase system) and transferred by a hydrogen carrier to another metabolite, which is thus reduced.
- universal d. in blood group ing, a person belonging to group O; i.e., one whose erythrocytes do not contain either agglutinogen A or B and are, therefore, not agglutinated by plasma containing either of the ordinary isoagglutinins.
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do·nor 'dō-nər, -.nȯ(ə)r n
1) one used as a source of biological material (as blood or an organ)
2) a compound capable of giving up a part (as an atom, chemical group, or elementary particle) for combination with an acceptor
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n.
a person who makes his own tissues or organs available for use by someone else. For example, a donor may provide blood for transfusion (see blood donor), a kidney for transplantation, or sex cells for artificial insemination or oocyte donation.
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do·nor (doґnər) 1. an individual organism that supplies living tissue to be used in another body, as a person who furnishes blood for transfusion, or an organ for transplantation in a histocompatible recipient. Organs for donation usually come from cadavers (see cadaveric donor transplantation), although kidneys and certain other organs may be from living donors (see living related donor transplantation and living unrelated donor transplantation). 2. in chemistry, a substance or compound which contributes part of itself, as an atom or radical, to another substance (acceptor).Medical dictionary. 2011.