Separation of Serum from Blood by Centrifugation

Theoretical Background

• Serum is the liquid fraction of whole blood that is collected after the blood is allowed to clot. 
• The clot is removed by centrifugation and the resulting supernatant, designated serum, is carefully removed using a Pasteur pipette.
• Different blood collection tubes of various colors serve distinct purposes in clinical laboratory testing. 
• At this separation of serum from blood by centrifugation experiment, we are using the tube with the red cap. 
• These tubes typically do not contain any additives
• They are used for collecting blood samples for serum separation. 
• After blood is collected, it is allowed to clot naturally. The sample is then processed using a blood centrifuge for serum separation, where centrifugation enables the clear separation of serum from the clot, forming a distinct supernatant layer.
• Serum can be used for various biochemical tests, such as liver function tests, lipid profiles, and hormone assays.

Principle of Work

• The separation of blood in centrifuge method begins after collection of the whole blood, allowing the blood to clot by leaving it undisturbed at room temperature for 15-30 minutes. 
• Remove the clot by centrifuging at 1,000-2,000 x g for 10 minutes in a refrigerated centrifuge. 
• The resulting supernatant is designated serum. 
• Following the Centrifugation of blood process, it is important to immediately transfer the liquid component (serum) into a clean microcentrifuge tube using a pipette. 
• This step is essential for proper serum extraction from blood and helps prevent contamination or mixing with the clot.
• The samples should be maintained at 2-8°C while handling.