Final answer:
The buffy coat in centrifuged blood is composed of white blood cells (leukocytes) and platelets, and the statement that it contains red blood cells is false. This thin, pale layer is positioned above the layer of erythrocytes in a centrifuged blood sample.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the buffy coat in centrifuged blood contains RBCs and platelets is false. The buffy coat is actually a thin, pale layer that separates the liquid plasma from the erythrocytes (red blood cells) in a sample of centrifuged blood. The buffy coat consists of leukocytes (white blood cells) and platelets, not proteins or red blood cells. When a hematocrit test is performed, the erythrocytes settle at the bottom of the tube due to their density, and the buffy coat forms above this layer, constituting less than 1% of the blood sample. The plasma, which contains water along with various substances such as coagulation factors and antibodies, is found at the top of the tube.