Blood cells are not attached to other cells or structures but are free within this fluid medium. Blood cells are called the formed elements of blood.
Information regarding the equipment and procedure is available on the following screens.
The picture to the left shows what the microhematocrit tubes of blood look like before and after centrifugation. Blood allowed to sit for even a brief time will have a settling of blood cells and if a hematocrit tube is filled with the top layer it will result in a lower than actual reading. A microhematocrit centrifuge is designed to spin capillary tubes at 10,000 times gravity or more. The numbered and grooved slots on the head of the centrifuge accept the filled microhematocrit tubes which should be balanced across from each other. One end of each filled tube is sealed with clay which is placed against the outer rubber gasket around the centrifuge head.