rebecca 
Blood plasma is the liquid portion of the blood that consists of water, proteins, lipids, electrolytes and salts. This liquid forms more than half of the blood.
The difference between plasma and serum is that plasma contains clotting agents, while serum does not. It also contains white blood cells and platelets.
Composition
Plasma is the liquid part of blood, forming about 55% of it. It contains water, proteins, lipids, and salts. It also has antibodies that help fight diseases and infections.
Plasma can be separated from whole blood for medical and experimental purposes. It is typically obtained when an agent that prevents clotting, such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), citrate, and heparin, is added to the blood, then placed in a centrifuge.
In this study, we compared the metabolite profiles of serum to plasma using NMR-based metabolomics analysis. The results showed that the heparin plasma tubes performed the closest to serum, with only three metabolites showing significant differences, followed by EDTA plasma which differed for five.
Purity
The purity of plasma and serum is of great importance for any laboratory analysis. If the sample is not pure, then the results can be inaccurate.
For example, the clotting factors in serum can interfere with analyte stability. Moreover, the platelets and other cellular elements that contaminate plasma can also influence test results.
Hence, it is important to choose the right type of a test kit or a laboratory instrument to ensure the accuracy of the results. The choice of the submatrix (serum or plasma) depends on the chemical of interest and the analytical method being used.
To obtain serum or plasma from blood samples, the solid blood cells must be separated from the liquid portion of the blood via centrifugation. The centrifugation time and RCF settings are important to ensuring optimum separation between solid and liquid components.
Uses
Plasma is the liquid part of blood that contains the clotting factors and the cells. It is 55% of the total volume of blood.
The other half is the serum which is composed of proteins and a variety of substances like electrolytes, antibodies, antigens, and hormones. It also contains lipids, glucose and minerals.
It maintains pH balance and osmotic pressure to support the normal functioning of all the other organs in the body. It also helps in transportation of hormones and fatty acids throughout the body.
Plasma is used for a variety of medical purposes, including for diagnostic and therapeutic testing. It can be analyzed by a number of different technologies, and a variety of sample handling techniques are required to ensure the highest accuracy in the lab.
Safety
Blood plasma is a clear yellow fluid that is 55% of the total volume of blood. It contains clotting factors and water. It is a good choice for people who have clotting problems and need transfusions.
Serum is a fluid that can be extracted from blood using a centrifuge. It contains proteins, electrolytes, antibodies, antigens and hormones.
The main difference between serum and plasma is that serum is obtained after coagulation while plasma can be obtained before coagulation.
In addition to water, serum comprises albumin, globulins, amino acids, hormones, enzymes, nutrients, nitrogenous waste, gases, and fibrinogen.
Several drugs are metabolized differently in plasma and serum. For example, pyridostigmine concentrations are very low in plasma but much higher in serum at therapeutic levels.
