Plasma is a critical component in the treatment of many serious health problems. This is why there are frequent blood drives encouraging people to donate blood plasma.
A simple blood test can now be used to estimate your 'biological age'. Biological age, unlike chronological age, looks at how your body id developing or breaking down compared to the average. Knowing this can help identify the people most at risk of age-related diseases, such as dementia.
There are two categories of tests for Down syndrome that can be performed before a baby is born: screening tests and diagnostic tests. Prenatal screens estimate the chance of the fetus having Down syndrome. Most of these tests only provide a probability. Diagnostic tests can provide a definitive diagnosis with almost 100% accuracy. Most screening tests involve a blood test and an ultrasound (sonogram). The blood tests (or serum screening tests) measure quantities of various substances in the blood of the mother. Together with a woman's age, these are used to estimate her chance of having a child with Down syndrome.