Final answer:
Serum is the liquid component of blood that remains after clotting, which includes no coagulation factors, but contains proteins, antibodies, and other substances critical for bodily functions. It is used in medical diagnostics and blood typing.
Step-by-step explanation:
Serum is the liquid that remains after blood has clotted. It is essentially the component of blood plasma without coagulation factors. Blood plasma itself is composed of 90% water and other necessary substances such as electrolytes to maintain the body's pH and osmotic load, and it includes coagulation factors and antibodies. When these coagulation factors are removed, what is left is called serum. The serum contains antibodies, various proteins, lipids including cholesterol, nutrients, hormones, and metabolic wastes that are essential for the body's defense mechanisms and other physiological functions. The primary use of serum is in medical diagnostics to diagnose and monitor diseases, and for blood typing. It does not prevent coagulation; rather, it is the result of coagulation after the clotting factors have been removed.
Learn more about Serum