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Affixes: the building blocks of English
Affixes: the building blocks of English
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sero-

Serum; a serous membrane.

[Latin serum, whey.]

Serum is the amber-coloured, protein-rich liquid which separates out when blood coagulates, for which the associated adjective is serous; serology is its scientific study or diagnostic examination. A seropositive individual has a positive result in a test of blood serum, say for the presence of a virus, while someone seronegative tests negative; seroconversion is the change from the latter state to the former. The seroprevalence of a pathogen is its level in a population, as measured in blood serum. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter present in blood platelets and serum.

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