ASSIGNMENT

Submitted by: Mehr un Nisa

Submitted to: Dr. Awais
Registration no.: BSBB02183005
Subject: Clinical Biochemistry
Date: 08-11-2020
Topic:

Differentiate among serum, plasma and whole blood

regarding biochemical analysis.

What is whole blood?

The blood flowing throughout human body freely. If it is outside the body
with an anticoagulant and cannot be separated into portions is called whole
blood.

What is serum?
If blood is drawn into a tube without anticoagulant then the blood will clot
naturally and separate into liquid and cells. This liquid portion will be known
as serum.

What is plasma?
If anticoagulants are added to the tube the blood will not clot. The liquid
portion of blood which contains anticoagulants is called plasma.

Blood plasma is a protein-rich solution in which white and red blood cells,
as well as platelets, are suspended, and serum is the remaining fluid after
removal of the clot from whole blood with principally the same composition
as plasma with the exception that the fibrinogens and clotting factors are
absent.

Differences
 Composition:
Plasma:
The liquid component of blood with red blood cells, white blood cells and
platelets suspended which constitutes more than half of blood’s volume
and consists mostly of water that have electrolytes and proteins is the
composition of plasma.

Serum:
The electrolytes, antibodies, antigens, hormones and any exogenous
substance not used in blood clotting is the composition of serum.

Whole Blood:
The erythrocytes, leukocytes and platelets suspended in blood plasma are
the composition of whole blood.

 Volume:
Whole Blood:
Whole blood is approximately 5 litres in adults.

Plasma:
Plasma makes up about 58% of the blood volume.

Serum:
10 mL of whole blood will approximately yield 5 mL of serum. 1.0 mL of
serum is the minimum acceptable volume needed for testing.

 Density:
Plasma:
It has 1.025 g/ml density.

Serum:
It has 1.024 g/ml density.

Whole Blood:
It has average density around 1060 kg/m3 which is very close to pure
water's density of 1000 kg/m3.

 Shelf life:
Plasma:
It has a long shelf life. It can be preserved up to ten years.

Serum:
It has short shelf life. It can be preserved only for a few months.

Whole blood:
The shelf life of whole blood is 35 days.
  Formation of cells:
Whole Blood:
Blood cells develop from hematopoietic stem cells and are formed in the
bone marrow through the highly regulated process of hematopoiesis.
Hematopoietic stem cells are capable of transforming into red blood cells,
white blood cells, and platelets.

Plasma:
B cells differentiate into plasma cells that produce antibody molecules
closely modeled after the receptors of the precursor B cell.

Serum:
To obtain serum, a blood sample is allowed to clot (coagulation). The
sample is then centrifuged to remove the clot and blood cells, and the
resulting liquid supernatant is serum.

 Presence of fibrinogen:
Plasma:
It contains fibrinogen. It is formed from fibrinogen which is a soluble protein
that is produced by the liver and found in blood plasma. When tissue
damage results in bleeding then the fibrinogen is converted at the wound
into fibrin by the action of thrombin which is a clotting enzyme.

Serum:
It lacks fibrinogen.

Whole blood:
It does contain fibrinogen in it’s plasma. When you start to bleed, your body
initiates a process called the coagulation cascade also known as clotting
cascade.
  Importance:
Whole Blood:
Whole blood is used to treat patients who need all the components of
blood, such as those who have sustained significant blood loss due to
trauma or surgery.

Plasma:
Plasma is the main medium for excretory product transportation.

Serum:
It is an important source of electrolytes.

References
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51494236_Differences_bet
ween_Human_Plasma_and_Serum_Metabolite_Profiles

https://ashpublications.org/blood/pages/Article_Types

Book:

A Beginner's Guide to Blood Cells 2nd Edition

by Barbara J. Bain

Haematology Case Studies with Blood Cell Morphology and

Pathophysiology 1st Edition

by Indu Singh (Author), Alison Weston (Author), Avinash Kundur

(Author), Gasim Dobie (Author)