Final answer:
Tiger top and gold top tubes are used in clinical laboratories for blood sample collection, containing serum separator gel and clot activator to separate serum from blood cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
Tiger top and gold top tubes are commonly used in clinical laboratories for blood sample collection and processing. These tubes contain serum separator gel and a clot activator. The specific purpose of tiger top tubes, which may also be referred to as SST (Serum Separator Tubes), is to facilitate the separation of serum from the cellular components of blood after it has been allowed to clot and centrifuged. The gold top tubes are essentially the same as tiger top tubes, with a polymer gel and a clot activator coated on the inside.
The clot activator promotes blood clotting with the serum remaining on top of the separator gel after centrifugation. This design allows for the efficient collection of serum, which can then be used for a variety of laboratory tests, including hormone levels, drug monitoring, infectious disease testing, and other clinical assays. It is important to follow specific procedures for the collection and handling of blood samples using these tubes to ensure the quality and reliability of test results.