last updated by MrMistery 17 years ago
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    • #8657
      emjei2
      Participant

      can i separate the serum from red blood cells if i added anticoagulant?

    • #78570
      blcr11
      Participant

      Technically, no. Not that you can’t separate liquid from cells after adding anticoagulants. But serum is defined to be the liquid phase after allowing the clotting system to work. Serum will be depleted of clotting factors and other proteins or metabolites that are extremely unstable for one reason or another. You can add things like citrate as a preservative, I think, but not EDTA or heparin; if you inhibit the clotting system you will be separating out plasma, not serum.

    • #78608
      emjei2
      Participant

      thank you so much. that is very informative. 😀

    • #78688
      emjei2
      Participant

      how long does it takes for a blood to coagulate?

    • #78714
      blcr11
      Participant

      If I remember correctly (and I may not, so it would be wise to confirm this) clinical samples are left to clot at room temperature for something like 20-30 minutes before spinning them down and removing the serum.

    • #78717
      MrMistery
      Participant

      In theory it takes less than 10 minutes(as it is defined by physiology books, with formation of tromboplastine being the most time-demanding phase). But in general labs leave it for more than that just to make sure the reactions have all gone to completion.

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