Many people know that plasma and serum are related to blood. But not everyone has a deeper knowledge of this issue. Let's consider what the claimed substances are and how they differ fundamentally.
So, one of the fluids that perform their important functions in the body is blood. Obedient to the beats of the heart, it constantly moves, transporting various substances to the designated places. In addition to transportation, blood is also responsible for many other things. Solving a large number of problems, this substance is arranged in a rather complicated way.
A significant part of the blood is made up of the so-called shaped elements. They are represented by a certain number of leukocytes, platelets and little bodies called erythrocytes. All of these components exist in a liquid medium, which is plasma. This substance can be observed at the top of the settled blood in the form of a light layer, and the heavier particles settle down.
Plasma itself is also a combination of many components, each of which has a distinct purpose. The basis here is water. It contains proteins of some species, vitamins, and nutrients. In addition, mineral compounds, excreted metabolic products and other various elements are found in the plasma.
As you can see, we are talking about a saturated substance that is naturally contained in the blood, which is always functioning in the body. At the same time, serum can only be obtained externally. It is produced on the basis of plasma. The latter contains fibrinogen, a protein component responsible for blood clotting.
Serum remains after fibrinogen is removed using specific techniques. The resulting fraction is usually yellowish, but may also have a reddish tint due to the presence of some particles. The value of such a liquid lies in its stability. Anti-clotting serum has a long shelf life. At the same time, its composition remains uniform, without unnecessary clots.
At the same time, the practical value of serum lies in the fact that it is rich in antibodies, which are feared by pathogens. Such a blood processing product is indispensable in the manufacture of drugs that perform not only a therapeutic, but also a prophylactic function. A similar composition is used in the process of diagnosing diseases, for carrying out various studies, as well as for some other purposes. [nine].
