Blood tests are laboratory tests done on blood to gain an appreciation of disease states and the function of organs. Since blood flows throughout the body, acting as a medium for providing oxygen and other nutrients, and drawing waste products back to the excretory systems for disposal, the state of the bloodstream affects, or is affected by, many medical conditions. For these reasons, blood tests are the most commonly performed medical tests. Blood is obtained from one of the patient's veins by venipuncture or fingerprick, except for tests such as Arterial blood gas. A medical laboratory or clinical laboratory is a laboratory where tests are done on biological specimens in order to get information about the health of a patient. ... Human blood smear: a - erythrocytes; b - neutrophil; c - eosinophil; d - lymphocyte. ... This article is about the medical term. ... General Name, symbol, number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals, chalcogens Group, period, block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless (gas) very pale blue (liquid) Standard atomic weight 15. ... A medical test is any kind of diagnostic medical procedure performed for health reasons. ... Human blood smear: a - erythrocytes; b - neutrophil; c - eosinophil; d - lymphocyte. ... Venipuncture using a vacutainer. ... In medicine, some blood tests are conducted on venous blood obtained by fingerprick. ... Arterial blood gas measurement is a blood test that is performed to determine the concentration of oxygen, carbon dioxide and bicarbonate, as well as the pH, in the blood. ...

Blood is useful as it is a relatively non-invasive way to obtain cells, and extracellular fluid (plasma), from the body to check on its health. Although the term blood test is used, most routine tests (except for most haematology) are done on plasma or serum. The term non-invasive in medicine has two meanings: A medical procedure which does not penetrate or break the skin or a body cavity, i. ... Drawing of the structure of cork as it appeared under the microscope to Robert Hooke from Micrographia which is the origin of the word cell being used to describe the smallest unit of a living organism Cells in culture, stained for keratin (red) and DNA (green) The cell is the... In some animals, including mammals, the two types of extracellular fluids are interstitial fluid and blood plasma. ... Blood plasma is the liquid component of blood, in which the blood cells are suspended. ... Hematology is the branch of medicine that is concerned with blood and its disorders. ... Blood plasma is the liquid component of blood, in which the blood cells are suspended. ...

The list below includes both specific tests, and general techniques.

Blood chemistry tests

A basic metabolic panel measures sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), magnesium, creatinine, and glucose. It also sometimes includes calcium. A basic metabolic panel (BMP) is a set of seven or eight blood chemical tests. ... For sodium in the diet, see Edible salt. ... General Name, symbol, number potassium, K, 19 Chemical series alkali metals Group, period, block 1, 4, s Appearance silvery white Standard atomic weight 39. ... The chloride ion is formed when the element chlorine picks up one electron to form an anion (negatively-charged ion) Cl−. The salts of hydrochloric acid HCl contain chloride ions and can also be called chlorides. ... For baking soda, see Sodium bicarbonate In inorganic chemistry, a bicarbonate (IUPAC-recommended nomenclature: hydrogencarbonate) is an intermediate form in the deprotonation of carbonic acid. ... The blood urea nitrogen (BUN) test is a measure of the amount of nitrogen in the blood that comes from urea. ... General Name, symbol, number magnesium, Mg, 12 Chemical series alkaline earth metals Group, period, block 2, 3, s Appearance silvery white solid at room temp Standard atomic weight 24. ... Creatinine is a breakdown product of creatine phosphate in muscle, and is usually produced at a fairly constant rate by the body (depending on muscle mass). ... Glucose (Glc), a monosaccharide (or simple sugar), is an important carbohydrate in biology. ... For other uses, see Calcium (disambiguation). ...

While the regular glucose test is taken at a certain point in time, the glucose tolerance test involves repeated testing to determine the rate at which glucose is processed by the body. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Diabetes. ... A glucose tolerance test in medical practice is the administration of glucose to determine how quickly it is cleared from the blood. ... Glucose (Glc), a monosaccharide (or simple sugar), is an important carbohydrate in biology. ...

While the above tests are all taken from venous blood, by contrast the arterial blood gas test is, as its name would suggest, taken from arterial blood, and is therefore more dangerous and uncomfortable. Arterial blood gas measurement is a blood test that is performed to determine the concentration of oxygen, carbon dioxide and bicarbonate, as well as the pH, in the blood. ...

Large organic molecules

Proteins

• Protein electrophoresis (general technique -- not a specific test)
• Western blot (general technique -- not a specific test)
• Liver function tests

Schematic representation of a protein electrophoresis gel In chemistry and medicine, protein electrophoresis is a method of analysing a mixture of proteins by means of gel electrophoresis, mainly in blood serum (blood plasma is not suitable). ... A Western blot. ... Liver function tests (LFTs or LFs), which include liver enzymes, are groups of clinical biochemistry laboratory blood assays designed to give information about the state of a patients liver. ...

Antibody Proteins

• Serology (general technique -- not a specific test)
  • Wassermann test (for syphilis)
• ELISA test
• Coombs test

Serology is the scientific study of blood serum. ... The Wassermann test is a complement-fixation antibody test for syphilis, named after the bacteriologist August von Wassermann. ... The Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA or EIA for short) is a method usually employed in biochemistry to detect if a certain substance is present in a sample. ... Coombs test (also known as Coombs test, antiglobulin test or AGT) refers to two clinical blood tests used in [[immunohematology] and immunology. ...

Other

• Polymerase chain reaction (DNA). DNA testing is today possible with even very small quantities of blood: this is commonly used in forensic science, but is now also part of the diagnostic process of many disorders.
• Northern blot (RNA)

“PCR” redirects here. ... Genetic fingerprinting or DNA testing is a technique to distinguish between individuals of the same species using only samples of their DNA. Its invention by Sir Alec Jeffreys at the University of Leicester was announced in 1985. ... Agents of the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division investigate a crime scene Forensic science (often shortened to forensics) is the application of a broad spectrum of sciences to answer questions of interest to the legal system. ... The northern blot is a technique used in molecular biology research to study gene expression. ...

Cells

• Full blood count (or "complete blood count")
• Hematocrit and MCV ("mean corpuscular volume")
• Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
• Cross-matching. Determination of blood type for blood transfusion or transplants
• Blood cultures are commonly taken if infection is suspected. Positive cultures and resulting sensitivity results are often useful in guiding medical treatment.

A full blood count (FBC) or complete blood count (CBC) is a test requested by a doctor or other medical professional that gives information about the cells in a patients blood. ... The hematocrit (Ht or HCT) and packed cell volume (PCV) are measures of the proportion of blood volume that is occupied by red blood cells. ... The mean corpuscular volume, or MCV, is a measure of the average red blood cell volume (i. ... The erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR), also called a sedimentation rate, sed rate or Biernacki Reaction, is a non-specific measure of inflammation that is commonly used as a medical screening test. ... In medicine, Cross-matching refers to the process of performing blood tests to determine the similarity between two different blood types. ... This article is about human blood types (or blood groups). ... Blood transfusion is the process of transferring blood or blood-based products from one person into the circulatory system of another. ... Transplants are an American hip hop/punk rock supergroup. ... Blood culture is microbiological culture of blood. ...

External links

• Cold autoantibody webpage on "health a to z"

See also

• Reference ranges for common blood tests (with a much longer list)
• Urine test
• HIV test (uses several different techniques, including ELISA test and Western blot)
• Blood film
• Hematology
• Microbiology
• Medical technologist