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Differential Centrifugation
In biochemistry and cell biology, differential centrifugation (also known as differential velocity centrifugation) is a common procedure used to separate organelles and other sub-cellular particles based on their sedimentation rate. Although often applied in biological analysis, differential centrifugation is a general technique also suitable for crude purification of non-living suspended particles (e.g. nanoparticles, colloidal particles, viruses). In a typical case where differential centrifugation is used to analyze cell-biological phenomena (e.g. organelle distribution), a tissue sample is first lysed to break the cell membranes and release the organelles and cytosol. The lysate is then subjected to repeated centrifugations, where particles that sediment sufficiently quickly at a given centrifugal force for a given time form a compact "pellet" at the bottom of the centrifugation tube. After each centrifugation, the ''supernatant'' (non-pelleted solution) is removed from t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gravitational Force
In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the strong interaction, 1036 times weaker than the electromagnetic force and 1029 times weaker than the weak interaction. As a result, it has no significant influence at the level of subatomic particles. However, gravity is the most significant interaction between objects at the macroscopic scale, and it determines the motion of planets, stars, galaxies, and even light. On Earth, gravity gives weight to physical objects, and the Moon's gravity is responsible for sublunar tides in the oceans (the corresponding antipodal tide is caused by the inertia of the Earth and Moon orbiting one another). Gravity also has many important biological functions, helping to guide the growth of plants through the process of gravitropism and influencing the circulati ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Molecular Weight
A molecule is a group of two or more atoms held together by attractive forces known as chemical bonds; depending on context, the term may or may not include ions which satisfy this criterion. In quantum physics, organic chemistry, and biochemistry, the distinction from ions is dropped and ''molecule'' is often used when referring to polyatomic ions. A molecule may be homonuclear, that is, it consists of atoms of one chemical element, e.g. two atoms in the oxygen molecule (O2); or it may be heteronuclear, a chemical compound composed of more than one element, e.g. water (two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom; H2O). In the kinetic theory of gases, the term ''molecule'' is often used for any gaseous particle regardless of its composition. This relaxes the requirement that a molecule contains two or more atoms, since the noble gases are individual atoms. Atoms and complexes connected by non-covalent interactions, such as hydrogen bonds or ionic bonds, are typically not consi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Partial Specific Volume
The partial specific volume \bar, express the variation of the extensive volume of a mixture in respect to composition of the masses. It is the partial derivative of volume with respect to the mass of the component of interest. :V=\sum _^n m_i \bar, where \bar is the partial specific volume of a component i defined as: :\bar=\left( \frac \right)_. The PSV is usually measured in milliLiters (mL) per gram (g), proteins > 30 kDa can be assumed to have a partial specific volume of 0.708 mL/g. Experimental determination is possible by measuring the natural frequency of a U-shaped tube filled successively with air, buffer and protein solution. Properties The sum of partial specific volumes of a mixture or solution is an inverse of density of the mixture namely the specific volume of the mixture. :v = \sum_i w_i\cdot \bar = \frac :\sum_i \rho_i \cdot \bar = 1 Notes See also *Partial molar property *Apparent molar property In thermodynamics, an apparent molar property of a solutio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ultracentrifuge
An ultracentrifuge is a centrifuge optimized for spinning a rotor at very high speeds, capable of generating acceleration as high as (approx. ). There are two kinds of ultracentrifuges, the preparative and the analytical ultracentrifuge. Both classes of instruments find important uses in molecular biology Molecular biology is the branch of biology that seeks to understand the molecular basis of biological activity in and between cells, including biomolecular synthesis, modification, mechanisms, and interactions. The study of chemical and physi ..., biochemistry, and polymer science.Susan R. Mikkelsen & Eduardo Cortón. Bioanalytical Chemistry, Ch. 13. Centrifugation Methods. John Wiley & Sons, Mar 4, 2004, pp. 247-267. History In 1924 Theodor Svedberg built a centrifuge capable of generating 7,000 g (at 12,000 rpm), and called it the ultracentrifuge, to juxtapose it with the Ultramicroscope that had been developed previously. In 1925-1926 Svedberg constructed a new ultracen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Microsomes
In cell biology, microsomes are heterogeneous vesicle-like artifacts (~20-200 nm diameter) re-formed from pieces of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) when eukaryotic cells are broken-up in the laboratory; microsomes are not present in healthy, living cells. Rough (containing ribosomes) and smooth (without ribosomes) microsomes are made from the endoplasmic reticulum through cell disruption. These microsomes have an inside that is exactly the same as the endoplasmic reticulum lumen. Both forms of microsomes can be purified by a process known as equilibrium density centrifugation. Rough and smooth microsomes do differ in their proteins and rough microsomes have shown occurrence of translation and translocation at the same time besides certain exceptions from proteins in yeast. Signal Hypothesis Microsomes play a role in the signal hypothesis. This hypothesis explores in vitro protein translation for a mRNA encoding secretory protein. When microsomes are present, the proteins sh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dounce Homogenizer
Invented by and named for Alexander Dounce , a Dounce homogenizer or "Douncer", is a cylindrical glass tube, closed at one end, with two glass pestles of carefully specified outer diameters, intended for the gentle homogenization of eukaryotic cells (e.g. mammalian cells). Dounce homogenizers are still commonly used today to isolate cellular organelles. The two Dounce homogenizer pestles (known as the "loose" or "A" and "tight" or "B" pestles), have a carefully specified outer diameter, relative to the inner diameter of the cylinder. The "A" (loose) pestle has a clearance from the cylinder wall of (~0.0025 - 0.0055 in.) while the "B" (tight) pestle has a clearance of (~0.0005 - 0.0025 in.). This allows for tissue and cells to be lysed by shear stress with minimal (if any) degree of heating, thereby leaving extracted organelles or heat-sensitive enzyme complexes largely intact. Typically, a soft tissue (e.g. mammalian liver) is cut or broken into smaller pieces and placed into th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Homogenization (biology)
Homogenization, in cell biology or molecular biology, is a process whereby different fractions of a biological sample become equal in composition. It can be a disease sign in histopathology, or an intentional process in research: A homogenized sample is equal in composition throughout, so that removing a fraction does not alter the overall molecular make-up of the sample remaining, and is identical to the fraction removed. Induced homogenization in biology is often followed by molecular extraction and various analytical techniques, including ELISA and western blot. Methods Homogenization of tissue in solution is often performed simultaneously with cell lysis. To prevent lysis however, the tissue (or collection of cells, e.g. from cell culture) can be kept at temperatures slightly above zero to prevent autolysis, and in an isotonic solution to prevent osmotic damage. If freezing the tissue is possible, cryohomogenization can be performed under "dry" conditions, and is often the m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eukaryote
Eukaryotes () are organisms whose cells have a nucleus. All animals, plants, fungi, and many unicellular organisms, are Eukaryotes. They belong to the group of organisms Eukaryota or Eukarya, which is one of the three domains of life. Bacteria and Archaea (both prokaryotes) make up the other two domains. The eukaryotes are usually now regarded as having emerged in the Archaea or as a sister of the Asgard archaea. This implies that there are only two domains of life, Bacteria and Archaea, with eukaryotes incorporated among archaea. Eukaryotes represent a small minority of the number of organisms, but, due to their generally much larger size, their collective global biomass is estimated to be about equal to that of prokaryotes. Eukaryotes emerged approximately 2.3–1.8 billion years ago, during the Proterozoic eon, likely as flagellated phagotrophs. Their name comes from the Greek εὖ (''eu'', "well" or "good") and κάρυον (''karyon'', "nut" or "kernel"). Euka ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Angular Velocity
In physics, angular velocity or rotational velocity ( or ), also known as angular frequency vector,(UP1) is a pseudovector representation of how fast the angular position or orientation of an object changes with time (i.e. how quickly an object rotates or revolves relative to a point or axis). The magnitude of the pseudovector represents the ''angular speed'', the rate at which the object rotates or revolves, and its direction is normal to the instantaneous plane of rotation or angular displacement. The orientation of angular velocity is conventionally specified by the right-hand rule.(EM1) There are two types of angular velocity. * Orbital angular velocity refers to how fast a point object revolves about a fixed origin, i.e. the time rate of change of its angular position relative to the origin. * Spin angular velocity refers to how fast a rigid body rotates with respect to its center of rotation and is independent of the choice of origin, in contrast to orbital angular ve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dynamic Viscosity
The viscosity of a fluid is a measure of its resistance to deformation at a given rate. For liquids, it corresponds to the informal concept of "thickness": for example, syrup has a higher viscosity than water. Viscosity quantifies the internal frictional force between adjacent layers of fluid that are in relative motion. For instance, when a viscous fluid is forced through a tube, it flows more quickly near the tube's axis than near its walls. Experiments show that some stress (such as a pressure difference between the two ends of the tube) is needed to sustain the flow. This is because a force is required to overcome the friction between the layers of the fluid which are in relative motion. For a tube with a constant rate of flow, the strength of the compensating force is proportional to the fluid's viscosity. In general, viscosity depends on a fluid's state, such as its temperature, pressure, and rate of deformation. However, the dependence on some of these properties is n ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stokes' Law
In 1851, George Gabriel Stokes derived an expression, now known as Stokes' law, for the frictional force – also called drag force – exerted on spherical objects with very small Reynolds numbers in a viscous fluid. Stokes' law is derived by solving the Stokes flow limit for small Reynolds numbers of the Navier–Stokes equations.Batchelor (1967), p. 233. Statement of the law The force of viscosity on a small sphere moving through a viscous fluid is given by: :F_ = 6 \pi \mu R v where: * ''F''d is the frictional force – known as Stokes' drag – acting on the interface between the fluid and the particle * ''μ'' is the dynamic viscosity (some authors use the symbol ''η'') * ''R'' is the radius of the spherical object * ''v'' is the flow velocity relative to the object. In SI units, ''F''d is given in newtons (= kg m s−2), ''μ'' in Pa·s (= kg m−1 s−1), ''R'' in meters, and ''v'' in m/s. Stokes' law makes the following assumptions for the behavior of a particle i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
