Question

How can you visually tell serum from plasma?

a) Serum is clear, plasma is cloudy.
b) Serum is fluid, plasma is a gel.
c) Serum is yellow, plasma is colorless.
d) You cannot visually differentiate; plasma is colorless.

Answer 1

Visually, plasma and serum are similar and cannot be differentiated; both appear straw-yellow. Plasma contains coagulation factors, while serum does not have these factors.

Step-by-step explanation:

You cannot visually differentiate serum from plasma based on color or clarity. Both plasma and serum can be similar in appearance - typically a straw-yellow color. The key difference is that plasma contains coagulation factors, while serum is the liquid that remains after these clotting factors have been removed. When blood is centrifuged, the cells and platelets are separated, and the liquid layer left is plasma, which also includes proteins, glucose, ions, antibodies, and other substances necessary for proper bodily functions. To obtain serum, the blood is allowed to clot, and the resulting fluid after the removal of the clot is the serum, lacking coagulation factors but still containing proteins, antibodies, and other components.