Final answer:
The lavender-colored vacutainer contains EDTA, an anticoagulant used to prevent blood clotting by chelating calcium ions during blood collection for plasma separation.
Thus option 4: EDTA. is correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
The anticoagulant found in lavender-colored vacutainer tubes is EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid). When blood samples are collected in these tubes, EDTA acts as a chelating agent by binding to calcium ions in the blood, preventing the clotting cascade and ensuring that the blood remains in a fluid state.
This allows for the subsequent separation of plasma when the sample is centrifuged. EDTA is also used in medicine as a chelating agent to treat heavy metal poisoning, as it forms water-soluble complexes with metal ions which can then be excreted by the kidneys.
Thus option 4: EDTA. is correct answer.