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A variety of different blood tests are available, to provide information about a variety of different systems and conditions of the body.
What sorts of information can a blood test provide?
Blood travels throughout the body, carrying materials such as:
Nutrients
Wastes
Electrolytes
Minerals
Fats
Proteins involved in important functions such as:
Blood Clotting
Immune Response
Hormones
Red Blood Cells-Cells responsible for the transport of oxygen
White Blood Cells-Cells of the immune system
Platelets-Cell fragments important for blood clotting
A battery of different blood tests are available, to determine the blood level of each of these different materials.
In normal, healthy individuals, the blood level of each material falls within a certain range.
Blood test results outside the normal range for a particular blood component can indicate a medical problem.
Because blood travels throughout the body, and because so many components of the blood are amenable to analysis, blood tests can provide information about a wide variety of different:
Diseases
Medical Conditions
Systems of the Body
What are some of the different blood tests which may be performed?
There are hundreds of tests which may be ordered for the analysis of a patient's blood.
Some of the most commonly performed blood tests include:
Calcium
Cholesterol and Triglycerides
Complete Blood Cell Count (CBC)
Electrolytes
Glucose
Kidney Function Tests
Liver Function Tests
Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA)
Thyroid Function Tests
Source: American Medical Association
