Final answer:
Plasma contains fibrinogen, which is crucial for the blood clotting process. The absence of fibrinogen from plasma would make it serum, not plasma, so the statement is false.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that plasma is depleted of fibrinogen is false. Plasma, the liquid component of blood, does contain fibrinogen, which is a soluble plasma protein produced by the liver. Fibrinogen makes up about 7 percent of the total plasma protein and is essential for blood coagulation. It is converted to fibrin during the coagulation process, forming a mesh that traps blood cells to produce a blood clot. The fluid that remains after fibrinogen and other clotting factors have been removed from plasma is called serum. Therefore, when plasma is devoid of coagulation factors, including fibrinogen, it is referred to as serum, not plasma.