Meaning & use
biological fluids
Last updated
Meaning
nounpluraltechnical
liquids produced by or found in living organisms, such as blood, urine, or saliva
Grammar: Used as a plural noun; the singular form is 'biological fluid'. It often appears in medical or laboratory contexts.
Patterns
- test biological fluids
- exposure to biological fluids
- sample of biological fluids
Laboratory technicians handle biological fluids with great care.
The study analyzed biological fluids from patients to detect the virus.
Proper disposal of biological fluids is essential in hospitals.
Word forms
| singular | biological fluid |
|---|
Common combinations
- human biological fluids
- Human biological fluids such as blood and saliva can carry pathogens.
- test biological fluids
- Doctors may test biological fluids to diagnose diseases.
- exposure to biological fluids
- Healthcare workers must avoid exposure to biological fluids.
- sample of biological fluids
- The lab received a sample of biological fluids for analysis.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bodily fluids
- Bodily fluids is a more everyday term; biological fluids is more technical and often used in scientific contexts.
Word family
- biological adjective
- relating to living things
- fluid noun
- a liquid
Commonly confused: biological fluids or bodily fluids?
biological fluids vs bodily fluids
Bodily fluids is the common term for fluids in the body; biological fluids is a broader scientific term that can include fluids produced by any organism.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'biological fluids' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Biological fluids' is a plural noun phrase, so it takes a plural verb and no article. Option 1 uses the singular 'fluid' incorrectly with 'the' in this context; option 2 is correct. Option 3 is ungrammatical because 'a' cannot be used with a plural. Option 4 uses the singular without an article, which is not standard here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “biological fluids”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.