During science class, a student asks, "What's the difference between plasma and serum in the blood?" The nurse responds that the primary difference between plasma and serum is that plasma contains
A)
fibrinogen.
B)
heparin.
C)
white blood cells.
D)
hydrogen ions.
Ans:
A
Feedback:
The major difference between plasma and serum is the presence of fibrinogen in the plasma from an anticoagulated centrifuged whole-blood specimen. When blood is removed from the body for testing, it clots within 30 to 60 minutes. The clot contains the blood's cellular components enmeshed in an insoluble fibrin network (formed by the polymerization of soluble plasma protein fibrinogen). The remaining fluid portion is the yellow liquid serum. This serum no longer contains fibrinogen because the fibrinogen originally present in uncoagulated blood was used up in the formation of the blood clot. Heparin, WBC, and hydrogen ions are incorrect.
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