Bovine serum albumin (BSA) is a 66.4 kDa, water-soluble protein composed of 583 amino acids. It has a single polypeptide chain with three homologous domains formed by six α-helices. Depending on pH, it undergoes reversible conformational isomerization. The native structure of the protein becomes reactive and flexible on heating. BSA has been used as a model protein in various applications, including immunodiagnostic procedures, cell culture media and clinical chemistry. Serum albumins facilitates drug disposition and efficacy by maintaining osmotic blood pressure.

Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) has been used:

• to study its adsorption on a planar poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) brush layer through fixed-angle optical reflectometry
• to measure its adsorption on a variety of thin films by means of total internal reflection spectroscopy
• as a constituent of Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer, which acts as a perfusate during placental perfusion

BSA的某些构象和初级序列表位是人类对牛肉和牛奶过敏中的可疑过敏原。

残余物主要是球蛋白。

血清白蛋白可能也会被称为Fraction V。该命名惯例取自使用冷乙醇沉淀对血清蛋白进行分级的原始Cohn法。 血清白蛋白可在采用Cohn′法的第五乙醇分级中发现。 从此，有些人便开始使用“Fraction V”这一术语来描述血清白蛋白，无论使用的是什么制备方法。 也有人在使用该术语来描述通过乙醇分级方法而纯化得到血清白蛋白，而这种方法是相对于原始的Cohn法一直在得到高度的改良。Sigma-Aldrich生产和分销从各种主要方法纯化得到的血清白蛋白，包括真正的Cohn分级法、改良的乙醇分级方法、热休克和色谱法。 更多的纯化步骤包括结晶或木炭过滤。

采用热休克分级分离法制备