Potassium, a metallic inorganic ion with atomic weight of 39, is the most abundant cation in the body. The vast majority of potassium is in the intracellular compartment with a small amount in the extracellular space. Normal serum potassium is 3.5 to 5.5 mEq/L; however, plasma potassium is 0.5 mEq/L lower. While total body potassium is lower in females and in older patients, serum potassium
Plasma is composed of 90 percent water with antibodies, coagulation factors, and other substances such as electrolytes, lipids, and proteins required for maintaining the body. The removal of coagulation factors from plasma leaves a fluid similar to interstitial fluid, known as serum. Albumin, a protein produced in the liver, comprises about one
After the blood sample is centrifuged, the clear serum should be removed for testing. [4] [5] These tubes should be used with care when measuring drug or hormone levels because the drug or hormone may diffuse from the serum into the gel, causing a reduction in measured level.
Plasmapheresis is the process healthcare providers use to obtain plasma from blood. Many times, providers do plasmapheresis to obtain donor plasma — plasma from healthy people that providers use when treating certain medical conditions. Plasma exchange is when providers use plasmapheresis to replace someone’s plasma.
If whole blood is used, the concentration will be lower than if plasma or serum is used. This is due to the greater water content of the cellular fraction. Under usual circumstances, the concentration of glucose in whole blood is about 15% lower than in plasma or serum, but the difference will be less in patients with low hematocrits.
Immunology is the study of the body's immune system and its functions and disorders. Serology is the study of blood serum (the clear fluid that separates when blood clots). Immunology and serology laboratories focus on the following: Identifying antibodies. These are proteins made by a type of white blood cell in response to a foreign substance
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how does serum differ from plasma
