Differences Between Plasma and Serum

Contrary to popular belief, serum and plasma are not the same, and hence the terms cannot be used interchangeably. This article will help you to uncover the fundamental difference between plasma and serum quite effectively.

Nonetheless, before resolving the serum vs plasma debate, let’s quickly glance through each concept in brief.

What is Plasma?

Plasma is the liquid part of blood, which is 90% water and makes up around 55% of total blood volume. Its purpose is to transmit proteins, nutrients, hormones and antibodies, among others, throughout the body. Since it runs all over the body, cells also release their waste into plasma.

Plasma comprises water, protein, lipids, glucose and salt. Typically, plasma helps to regulate the body’s temperature and blood pressure. Plasma comes with a long shelf-life and can be preserved for as long as a year. 

DIY: Find out which of the plasma components acts as the blood clotting factor. 

What is Serum?

In simple words, it is the fluid part that is devoid of the blood clotting factor and cells. When the clotting factor is removed from the blood, its protein fibrinogen changes into fibrin.

Fibrin is also a protein, but it is insoluble. It helps to repair damaged tissue by forming a clot and preventing the flow of blood through the wound. 

Besides water, plasma also comprises albumin, fibrinogen, globulin, hormones, nutrients, amino acid, nitrogenous waste, etc. Notably, the serum comes with a short shelf-life and can be preserved for just a few months. 

It comes in handy for detecting problems related to cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure, etc. 

On that note, let’s proceed to find the serum plasma difference.

Test Your Knowledge: Which of these is formed after blood coagulation?

1. Plasma

2. Serum. 

Check out this table below to gain a fair idea about the fundamental differences between blood plasma and serum.

Difference between Plasma and Serum

Separation of Blood Plasma and Serum

The composition of serum and plasma can be separated through centrifugation. Notably, each component can be separated because of the varying size, weight and density.

 EDTA Heparin, which is an anticoagulant, is needed to separate blood components like white blood cells and red blood cells from plasma. However, the process to separate serum is relatively complex.

Find out more about the difference between blood serum and blood plasma in detail straight from subject experts. Also, by enrolling in our live online classes, you can gain a better idea of the fundamental difference between blood plasma and serum.

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Functions of Plasma 

Since plasma is a vital part of the human blood, it performs various important functions. These are

• Coagulation: Plasma contains many substances, including proteins like thrombin and fibrinogen, that play a pivotal role in the clotting process and prevent bleeding. 

• Immunity: Plasma also consists of disease-fighting proteins that help you build a strong immune system and prevent you from harmful diseases. 

• Blood Pressure: Plasma contains a protein called albumin that maintains the oncotic pressure and prevents fluids from leaking into your body and skin. It also ensures proper blood flow through the vessels. 

• Transportation: Plasma helps in the transportation of nutrients, hormones, proteins, and other essential substances inside the body. It also removes waste products and transports them to the lungs, liver, or skin. 

• Body Temperature: Plasma balances the gain and loss of heat inside the body and helps in maintaining body temperature. 

• pH Balance: All the substances present in the plasma allow it to maintain a normal pH level to support the functioning of the cells.

Functions of Serum 

Like plasma, Serum also performs a lot of functions. These are: 

• The human serum helps in circulating exogenous and endogenous fluids in the blood. It helps in the transportation of hormones and fatty acids to ensure the proper functioning of the cells.  

• The serum helps in the distribution of antibiotics in the body while albumin protein helps in binding the curable substances in these antibiotics and carries them throughout the body.

Understanding the Difference between Plasma and Serum 

Understanding the Difference Between Plasma and Serum can be a little trickier as both of them are components of human blood. Both plasma and serum perform different functions in our body. However, both of them play a pivotal role in the transportation of nutrients and other substances in the body. To understand the difference between plasma and serum, you will need some high-quality study materials. This is where Vedantu comes to your aid. Vedantu provides you with the best study resources that can help you clearly understand the difference between plasma and serum. You can use our free mobile application to have a user-friendly experience while learning different topics from any subject. 

You can follow the tips mentioned below to understand the difference between plasma and serum more clearly: 

• Before learning the difference between plasma and serum, you should understand their meanings and importance. This way, you will get an idea of the key difference between these two components of blood. 

• Note down the characteristics of both plasma and serum and cross-check them to see which component perform what function in the body. 

• You should make notes for all the important points covered in the Difference Between Plasma and Serum and create a summarised version that will help you in last-minute revisions. 

• Use the tabular form to get a clear idea of the Difference Between Plasma and Serum. 

• You can use textbooks and reference books to get detailed explanations of the Difference Between Plasma and Serum. These books will also give you pictorial representations to make the concept easier to understand.