Difference Between Plasma And Serum

Serum is the liquid that remains after the clotting of blood. Whereas, plasma is the liquid that remains when anticoagulant is added to prevent clotting. A transparent, straw-coloured, liquid portion of the blood.

1. What is the difference between blood serum and blood plasma?
2. Why is serum better than plasma?
3. Is serum made from blood plasma?
4. How is plasma converted to serum?
5. What is blood plasma called?
6. How do you get blood plasma and serum?
7. Does plasma contain DNA?
8. What plasma contains?
9. Is it possible to use serum as substitute for plasma?
10. What color is plasma?
11. What is blood serum used for?
12. Is plasma mostly water?

What is the difference between blood serum and blood plasma?

A key difference between plasma and serum is that plasma is liquid, and serum is fluid. While most of the components are the same for both plasma and serum, plasma contains fibrinogen which is absent in serum. ... Plasma, on the other hand, is mostly used for blood-clotting related problems.

Why is serum better than plasma?

In general, serum samples (red top tubes) are preferred for chemistry testing. ... For example, LDH, potassium and phosphate are higher in serum than plasma, because of release of these constituents from cells during clotting. Protein and globulins are higher in plasma than serum, because plasma contains fibrinogen.

Is serum made from blood plasma?

Blood serum is a component of blood plasma. The two are closely related, so they're often thought to be the same thing. Serum is a fluid found in plasma, and it contains many of the same solid components as blood plasma (such as electrolytes, antibodies, hormones, and other proteins).

How is plasma converted to serum?

Plasma can be converted to serum by the method of defibrination. Coagulation factors present in plasma can be activated to form fibrin, with the addition of calcium chloride and thrombin (1). Thrombin cleaves fibrinogen to form fibrin monomers, which polymerize, creating a stable clot.

What is blood plasma called?

Alternative Title: blood plasma. Plasma, also called blood plasma, the liquid portion of blood. Plasma serves as a transport medium for delivering nutrients to the cells of the various organs of the body and for transporting waste products derived from cellular metabolism to the kidneys, liver, and lungs for excretion.

How do you get blood plasma and serum?

Centrifugation: When plasma is required, or when not using a serum gel separator tube, follow these instructions:

1. Draw 12 mL of whole blood for each 5 mL of serum or plasma needed. ...
2. Centrifuge for at least 15 minutes at 2200-2500 RPM.
3. Pipette the serum or plasma into a clean plastic screw-cap vial and attach the label.

Does plasma contain DNA?

Small amounts of DNA circulate in both healthy and diseased human plasma/serum, and increased concentrations of DNA are present in the plasma of cancer patients. Characteristics of tumor DNA have been found in genetic material extracted from the plasma of cancer patients.

What plasma contains?

Plasma is the liquid portion of blood. ... Plasma is about 92% water. It also contains 7% vital proteins such as albumin, gamma globulin and anti-hemophilic factor, and 1% mineral salts, sugars, fats, hormones and vitamins.

Is it possible to use serum as substitute for plasma?

Plasma protein fraction and human serum albumin are suitable for plasma replacement; however, they are in short supply and extremely expensive. Fresh-frozen plasma should not be used for volume replacement, but for documented coagulation protein deficiencies and for patients who require massive blood transfusions.

What color is plasma?

Blood plasma is the yellow liquid component of blood, in which the blood cells in whole blood are normally suspended. The color of the plasma varies considerably from one sample to another from barely yellow to dark yellow and sometimes with a brown, orange or green tinge [Figure 1a] also.

What is blood serum used for?

The human serum is a circulating carrier of exogenous and endogenous liquids in the blood. It allows substances to stick to the molecules within the serum and be buried within it. Human serum thus helps in the transportation of fatty acids and thyroid hormones which act on most of the cells found in the body.

Is plasma mostly water?

Plasma makes up about 55% of total blood volume and is composed of mostly water (90% by volume) plus dissolved proteins, glucose, clotting factors, mineral ions, hormones and carbon dioxide.