Understanding the Buffy Coat in Centrifuged Blood

Explanation:

The statement that the buffy coat in centrifuged blood contains RBCs and platelets is false. The buffy coat is actually a thin, pale layer that separates the liquid plasma from the erythrocytes (red blood cells) in a sample of centrifuged blood. The buffy coat consists of leukocytes (white blood cells) and platelets, not proteins or red blood cells. When a hematocrit test is performed, the erythrocytes settle at the bottom of the tube due to their density, and the buffy coat forms above this layer, constituting less than 1% of the blood sample. The plasma, which contains water along with various substances such as coagulation factors and antibodies, is found at the top of the tube.