Serum and Plasma difference with tabular form

Plasma and serum are derived from the liquid portion of the blood, however the difference between plasma and serum is quite obvious. Read on to find out how they differ. Serum and Plasma difference with tabular form

Blood is a fluid connective tissue that travels throughout the body carrying necessary nutrients, oxygen, and metabolic waste. It also participates in the regulation of body temperature and pH levels by interacting with acids and bases.

Blood is mainly made up of RBC (red blood cells), WBC (white blood cells), plasma, and serum. Plasma and serum are the main components of blood and are routinely used in blood group analysis experiments to determine the blood group of the patient.

Plasma and serum can be separated by centrifugation of blood on the basis of weight, size, and density. Serum is the fluid that is obtained after allowing the blood to clot, while plasma is obtained after treating the blood with anticoagulant compounds.

Difference between plasma and serum

Serum and plasma are obtained from the liquid portion of the blood that is obtained when cells are collected. However, there is a notable difference between plasma and serum. Serum is the fluid that remains after blood clotting. Whereas, plasma is the liquid that remains when anticoagulant is added to prevent clotting.

Below are the important differences between plasma and serum:

Plasma	Serum
Straw-colored transparent liquid portion of blood.	An undiluted fluid, the extracellular portion of blood.
It is composed of serum and clotting factor.	It is the part of the blood that lacks clotting factor.
It is acquired after centrifuging blood with the anticoagulant.	It is acquired after centrifuging coagulated blood.
Anticoagulant is required to obtain plasma from the blood sample.	Anticoagulant is not required to separate serum from blood sample.
It consists of 55% of the total blood volume.	Lower volume compared to plasma.
Comparatively easier and less time is required to separate plasma from blood sample.	Difficult to separate serum from blood sample. It is a very time consuming process.
Contains fibrinogen.	It lacks fibrinogen.
It consists of 92% water with proteins, salts, lipids and glucose.	It consists of 90% water with dissolved hormones, proteins, minerals and carbon dioxide.
It has a density of 1.025 g / ml	It has a density of 1,024 g / ml.
It has a long shelf life. It can be kept for up to ten years.	It has a short shelf life. It can only be kept for a few months.
Plasma is the main medium for the transport of excretory products.	An important source of electrolytes.
Cells are freely suspended in plasma.	Cells stick together by forming clots.

What is plasma? Serum and Plasma difference with tabular form

Plasma is the medium of the blood in which there are different types of blood cells. Red blood cells, white blood cells, and other blood components are suspended in the plasma.

Plasma is the liquid part of the blood. It contains the clotting agent fibrinogen, which prevents excessive blood flow during an injury. It also contains proteins that help in the transport of glucose and other nutrients to different parts of the body.
Plasma helps regulate body temperature.
It is also responsible for controlling blood pressure.
Plasma is obtained in the upper layer during centrifugation. It separates to increase longevity up to years and also to facilitate its transport from one place to another.

What is serum?

Serum is the liquid or undiluted part of the blood that lacks clotting factors. Therefore, it is formed after blood clotting. The serum helps in the diagnosis of diseases such as blood pressure, sugar, cholesterol, etc.

Frequent questions

1. What are the advantages of plasma over serum?

Plasma contains the most widely used anticoagulant heparin. It acts through a complex that it forms with antithrombin-III. Antithrombin III is a protein that prevents blood clotting.

2. What is serum? Serum and Plasma difference with tabular form

Serum is the plasma from which clotting factors have been removed.

3. What is the difference between blood and plasma?

Plasma is the translucent part of the blood that is not red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and other cellular components. It helps blood clot and is made up of 90% water.

4. How is plasma collected from the body?

Collecting plasma is time consuming. It takes about an hour to collect plasma from the body. Blood is drawn from the body with the help of a needle placed in the arm, and the plasma is separated from the red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.

5. Why is serum testing done? Serum and Plasma difference with tabular form

Serum is made to measure the amount of protein albumin in the blood. When the kidney begins to fail, albumin begins to leak into the urine. The serum test helps diagnose liver and kidney abnormalities.

Mohammad Asif Goraya

M A Goraya has qualification of M.phil in Agricultural Sciences. He has almost 15 years of teaching Experience at college and university level. He likes to share his research based knowledge with his students and audience.