Serous fluid major salivary glands produce mixed (serous and mucus) saliva. Another type of serous fluid is secreted by the serous membranes (serosa), two-layered membranes which line the body cavities. Serous membrane fluid collects on microvilli on the outer layer and acts as a lubricant and reduces friction from muscle movement. This can be seen in the lungs, with the pleural cavity. Blood serum is the component of blood that is neither a blood cell, nor a clotting factor. Blood serum and blood plasma are similar, but serum does not contain any clotting factors, such as fibrinogen, prothrombin, thromboplastin and many others.
Clotting time Clotting time Clotting time is the time required for a sample of blood to coagulate in vitro under standard conditions. There are various methods for determining the clotting time, the most common being the capillary tube method. It is affected by calcium ion levels and many diseases. Normal value of clotting time is 8 to 15 minutes. For the measurement of clotting time by test tube method, blood is placed in a glass test tube and kept at 37° C. The required time is measured for the blood to clot. There are several other methods, including testing for those on