How Serum Proteins Are Separated: A Simple Guide

How Serum Proteins Are Separated: A Simple Guide

Question 1. Mention the functions of serum proteins.
Answer:

• Serum is plasma minus fibrinogen.
• Thus, serum proteins includes only albumin and globulin.

Serum proteins:

1. Albumin: Refer previous question.
2. Globulin: Refer previous question.

Question 2. Mention the methods for separation of plasma proteins.
Answer:

Separation of plasma proteins:

1. Precipitation method.

• It is used to separate albumin and globulin from serum.
• Serum is treated with 22% sodium sulphate solution.
• As a result, globulin gets precipitated and albumin remains in the solution.

2. Salting out methods.

• It is used to separate serum globulin into englobulin and pseudoglobulin.
• Englobulin is salted out by.
  1. Full saturation with sodium chloride solution.
  2. Half saturation with magnesium sulphate solution.
  3. One third saturation with ammonium sulphate solution.
  4. Pseudoglobulin is salted out by.
  5. Full saturation with magnesium sulphate solution.
  6. Half saturation with ammonium sulphate solution.

3. Electrophoretic method.

• This method is used to separate the plasma proteins depending on their electric charge and their rate of migration.

4. Cohn’s fractional precipitation method.

• This method separates the plasma proteins depending on their solubility.

5. Ultra centrifugation method.

• This method separates the plasma proteins depending on their density.
• Thus, it also determines molecular weight of these proteins.