The centrifuge is used to spin the urine to force the solids (cells, casts, and crystals) to the bottom of the tube. Most of the liquid portion, called the ________, is poured off, and the remaining sediment is examined by microscope.

Fill in the blank(s) with the appropriate word(s).

supernatant

The supernatant is the liquid portion of urine after centrifugation, which is discarded.