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What Is a Chemistry Panel?

Typically, doctors order chemistry panels -- a series of tests conducted on your blood serum, which does not contain blood cells -- to provide an overall picture of your health and metabolism. Such tests evaluate the chemical and physical processes of your body that require energy. The results can alert a doctor to potential health problems such as kidney disease, liver disease or diabetes. Common chemistry panels test the liver, thyroid and glucose levels.

  1. Comprehensive Metabolic Panel

    • The comprehensive metabolic panel, or CMP, includes 14 diverse tests that give your doctor information about your liver, kidneys, proteins, acid/base balance and electrolytes. Some specific tests might include glucose, total protein and calcium tests. For example, a doctor concerned about your kidneys may pay close attention to the results of your blood urea nitrogen and creatinine tests; since your kidneys filter these products from the body, a high concentration of these products could indicate temporary or chronic decrease of the functions of your kidneys.

    Basic Metabolic Panel

    • The basic metabolic panel, or BMP, consists of eight different tests that evaluate the amounts of sodium, potassium, chloride, carbon dioxide, calcium and glucose in your body. This type of chemistry panel allows your doctor to get information on the status of your blood sugar, electrolytes and kidneys. The BMP is often one of the group of tests in the comprehensive metabolic panel.

    Thyroid Function Panel

    • Doctors may order a group of tests called a thyroid function panel to review the status of your thyroid gland; the test measures the amount of thyroid hormones in your bloodstream, for example, your thyroxin levels help to evaluate you for hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. In addition, the doctor may use the TSH, or thyroid-stimulating hormone, test to evaluate or monitor thyroid disorders.

    Liver Panel

    • Some doctors may refer to the liver panel as the "hepatic function panel." This test provides doctors with important information regarding the status of your liver. It can detect, screen for, review or monitor liver damage or liver inflammation. Some tests include hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, copper and the total protein of your body.

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