What type of blood sample is typically collected for a glucose test?

The typical blood sample collected for a glucose test is serum. This is because serum, which is the liquid portion of blood after it has clotted, provides a clear and stable environment for measuring glucose levels. When blood is allowed to clot, the cells settle to the bottom, leaving serum on top. This makes serum samples particularly useful for measuring various analytes, including glucose, as they are less likely to be influenced by cellular metabolism occurring in whole blood or plasma.

In glucose testing, using serum allows for accurate determination of glucose concentrations, as it contains the glucose that has been released into the bloodstream. While other sample types like whole blood and plasma can also be used in certain situations, serum is the most commonly preferred sample type in a laboratory setting for glucose measurements due to its stability and reduced interference from cellular components.