vérszérum

Vérszérum, commonly known as serum, is the clear, liquid portion of blood that remains after it has clotted. When blood is drawn from a vein and allowed to stand, the cellular components, including red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, aggregate and form a clot. This process involves the conversion of fibrinogen, a soluble protein in plasma, into fibrin, an insoluble protein that forms a meshwork to trap the blood cells. The liquid that separates from this clot is the serum.

Serum is similar in composition to plasma, but it lacks the clotting factors, most notably fibrinogen, which have been consumed during the clotting process. It is rich in a variety of substances, including antibodies, hormones, electrolytes, enzymes, proteins, and waste products. Medical laboratories frequently analyze serum to assess a patient's health status, diagnose diseases, and monitor treatment efficacy. For instance, serum analysis can reveal levels of glucose, cholesterol, electrolytes, liver enzymes, and specific antibodies, providing crucial diagnostic information. The appearance of serum can also be indicative of certain conditions; for example, icteric (yellowish) serum suggests elevated bilirubin levels, often associated with liver problems.