Clinical chemistry the denser blood cells and platelets to the bottom of the centrifuge tube, leaving the liquid serum fraction resting above the packed cells. This initial step before analysis has recently been included in instruments that operate on the "integrated system" principle. Plasma is in essence the same as serum, but is obtained by centrifuging the blood "without" clotting. Plasma is obtained by centrifugation "before" clotting occurs. The type of test required dictates what type of sample is used. A large medical laboratory will accept samples for up to about 700 different kinds of tests. Even the largest of laboratories rarely
Blood plasma Blood plasma Blood plasma is a yellowish coloured liquid component of blood that normally holds the blood cells in whole blood in suspension; this makes plasma the extracellular matrix of blood cells. It makes up about 55% of the body's total blood volume. It is the intravascular fluid part of extracellular fluid (all body fluid outside cells). It is mostly water (up to 95% by volume), and contains dissolved proteins (6–8%) (i.e.—serum albumins, globulins, and fibrinogen), glucose, clotting factors, electrolytes (Na, Ca, Mg, HCO, Cl, etc.), hormones, carbon dioxide (plasma being the main medium for excretory product transportation) and oxygen.