The buffy coat in the hematocrit tube can be collected and used to:

• A. check the morphology of the white blood cells
• B. determine the platelet count
• C. verify icterus in the animal
• D. measure the triglyceride level in the blood

Answer: (A)

The buffy coat is the thin middle layer that forms after centrifuging blood; it contains the white blood cells (and some platelets). Because this layer concentrates leukocytes, it’s ideal to collect a bit of it and prepare a smear to examine white blood cell morphology and perform a differential count. This is why the buffy coat is used to assess WBC characteristics. The other options aren’t appropriate because platelet counts are best done with whole blood or platelet-rich plasma, icterus is evaluated by plasma bilirubin and color, and triglycerides are measured from serum or plasma, not from the buffy coat.