Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Serum?

\Se"rum\ (s[=e]"r[u^]m), n. [L., akin to Gr. ???, Skr. s[=a]ra curd.] (Physiol.) (a) The watery portion of certain animal fluids, as blood, milk, etc. (b) A thin watery fluid, containing more or less albumin, secreted by the serous membranes of the body, such as the pericardium and peritoneum. {Blood serum}, the pale yellowish fluid which exudes from the clot formed in the coagulation of the blood; the liquid portion of the blood, after removal of the blood corpuscles and the fibrin. {Muscle serum}, the thin watery fluid which separates from the muscles after coagulation of the muscle plasma; the watery portion of the plasma. See {Muscle plasma}, under {Plasma}. {Serum albumin} (Physiol. Chem.), an albuminous body, closely related to egg albumin, present in nearly all serous fluids; esp., the albumin of blood serum. {Serum globulin} (Physiol. Chem.), paraglobulin. {Serum of milk} (Physiol. Chem.), the whey, or fluid portion of milk, remaining after removal of the casein and fat.