The health care provider draws blood from a vein, usually on the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. The puncture site is cleaned with antiseptic. An elastic band is placed around the upper arm to apply pressure and restrict blood flow through the vein. This causes veins below the band to swell with blood. A needle is inserted into the vein, and the blood is collected in an airtight vial or a tube attached to the needle (syringe). During the procedure, the band is removed to let blood flow again. Once the blood has been collected, the needle is removed. The puncture site is covered to stop any bleeding. For an infant or young child, the area is cleaned with antiseptic and punctured with a sharp needle or a small blade (lancet). The blood may be collected in a pipette (small glass tube), on a slide, onto a test strip, or into a small container. Cotton or a bandage may be applied to the puncture site if there is any continued bleeding. Electrophoresis is a laboratory technique. The blood serum is placed on specially treated paper and exposed to an electric current. The various proteins move on the paper (migrate) to form bands that show the proportion of each protein fraction. Individual proteins, except albumin, are not usually measured. However, protein fractions or groups ARE measured. The levels of protein fractions can be roughly measured by measuring the total serum protein and then multiplying that by the relative percentage of each protein fraction. Lipoprotein electrophoresis is a type of protein electrophoresis that determines the amount of chemical compounds made up of protein and fat, called lipoproteins (such as LDL cholesterol). | 
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