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Glossary

Sodium citrate

Sodium citrate is a citrate anticoagulant used in blood collection tubes. It prevents clotting by binding the calcium that the coagulation cascade requires. Because it works by binding calcium, adding calcium chloride back reverses the effect, which is one of the standard routes to platelet activation before injection.

Figure

A spun sample

PLASMA about 55% of the column BUFFY COAT platelets and leukocytes. about 1%. Drawn to scale. This is the whole target. RED CELLS densest fraction. sediments first. CENTRIFUGAL FORCE

Figure. Nearly every term in this glossary is, in the end, a fact about what happens inside this tube.

In practice

Because sodium citrate works by binding calcium, adding calcium chloride back reverses the effect and is one of the standard routes to platelet activation.

See also