---
layout: default
navsection: api
navmenu: API Methods
title: "specimens"

...

See "REST methods for working with Arvados resources":{{site.baseurl}}/api/methods.html

UUID type: @j58dm@

API endpoint base: @https://{{ site.arvados_api_host }}/arvados/v1/specimens@

Required arguments are displayed in %{background:#ccffcc}green%.

h2. Resource

A metadata record that may be used to represent a biological specimen.

Each Specimen has, in addition to the usual "attributes of Arvados resources":{{site.baseurl}}/api/resources.html:

table(table table-bordered table-condensed).
|_. Attribute|_. Type|_. Description|_. Example|
|material|string|||
|properties|hash|||

h2. Methods

h3. create

Create a new Specimen.

Arguments:

table(table table-bordered table-condensed).
|_. Argument |_. Type |_. Description |_. Location |_. Example |
|specimen|object||query||

h3. delete

Delete an existing Specimen.

Arguments:

table(table table-bordered table-condensed).
|_. Argument |_. Type |_. Description |_. Location |_. Example |
{background:#ccffcc}.|uuid|string|The UUID of the Specimen in question.|path||

h3. get

Gets a Specimen's metadata by UUID.

Arguments:

table(table table-bordered table-condensed).
|_. Argument |_. Type |_. Description |_. Location |_. Example |
{background:#ccffcc}.|uuid|string|The UUID of the Specimen in question.|path||

h3. list

List specimens.

Arguments:

table(table table-bordered table-condensed).
|_. Argument |_. Type |_. Description |_. Location |_. Example |
|limit|integer (default 100)|Maximum number of specimens to return.|query||
|order|string|Order in which to return matching specimens.|query||
|filters|array|Conditions for filtering specimens.|query||

h3. update

Update attributes of an existing Specimen.

Arguments:

table(table table-bordered table-condensed).
|_. Argument |_. Type |_. Description |_. Location |_. Example |
{background:#ccffcc}.|uuid|string|The UUID of the Specimen in question.|path||
|specimen|object||query||