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Blood components after centrifugation.

Blood fractionation is the process of fractionating whole blood, or separating it into its component parts. This is typically done by centrifuging the blood.

The resulting components are:

• a clear solution of blood plasma in the upper phase,
• the buffy coat, which is a thin later of leukocytes (white blood cells) mixed with platelets in the middle, and
• erythrocytes (red blood cells) at the bottom of the centrifuge tube.

Serum separation tubes are tubes used in phlebotomy containing a silicon gel; when centrifuged the silicone gel forms a layer on top of the buffy coat, allowing the blood plasma to be removed more effectively for testing and related purposes.

Blood after centrifuging in an SST tube.

[edit] See also

• Blood plasma fractionation

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