How does EDTA prevent blood samples from clotting? How does removing calcium from the sample keep it from clotting?

1 Answer
Mandira P.
Sep 3, 2017

You have already included the answer in your question. :)

Explanation:

Blood clotting is a very complex process and it involves a number of factors: Calcium is considered as one of the most important clotting factor in the list-- i.e. number IV .

https://qph.ec.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-a46f02e4555869681ed203d6c7c465c9

EDTA is ethylene-diamine-tetraacetic-acid. It is a colourless solid, used as anticoagulant of blood. EDTA can chelate not only calcium but a variety of divalent metal ions to form a stable ring like structure.

https://image.slidesharecdn.com/coordinationchemistryi-120810094847-phpapp02/95/coordination-chemistry-i-6-728jpg?cb=1344592689

When calcium is removed from blood sample by adding EDTA in it, specific steps leading to blood clotting will not be completed: hence blood will not clot.

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