Which is the liquid portion obtained from anti-coagulated whole blood?

Which is the liquid portion obtained from anti-coagulated whole blood?

• A. Serum
• B. Buffy coat
• C. Plasma
• D. Platelets

Answer: (C)

When blood is drawn with an anticoagulant and then centrifuged, the liquid portion that remains is plasma. The anticoagulant stops the clotting process, so clotting factors like fibrinogen stay in the liquid phase. If you let the blood clot first and then separate it, you get serum—the liquid portion that lacks fibrinogen because it’s used up in forming the clot. The thin middle layer, the buffy coat, contains white blood cells and platelets, while platelets themselves are cellular pieces, not a liquid. So the liquid portion from anti-coagulated whole blood is plasma.

When blood is drawn with an anticoagulant and then centrifuged, the liquid portion that remains is plasma. The anticoagulant stops the clotting process, so clotting factors like fibrinogen stay in the liquid phase. If you let the blood clot first and then separate it, you get serum—the liquid portion that lacks fibrinogen because it’s used up in forming the clot. The thin middle layer, the buffy coat, contains white blood cells and platelets, while platelets themselves are cellular pieces, not a liquid. So the liquid portion from anti-coagulated whole blood is plasma.