Centrifugation
Centrifugation
Centrifugation (pronounced: sen-tri-fyu-gey-shuhn) is a process that involves the use of the centrifugal force for the sedimentation of heterogeneous mixtures with a centrifuge, and is used in industrial and laboratory settings.
Etymology
The term "centrifugation" comes from the Latin centrum, meaning "center", and fugere, meaning "to flee".
Process
Centrifugation is a process that uses centrifugal force to separate components of a liquid. This is achieved by spinning a vessel containing material at high speed; the centrifugal force pushes heavier materials to the outside of the vessel.
Types of Centrifugation
There are two main types of centrifugation: differential centrifugation and density gradient centrifugation.
- Differential Centrifugation is often used to separate cells from the liquid media. The process can be repeated with increasing speed to separate smaller and smaller particles.
- Density Gradient Centrifugation involves the use of a dense substance such as sucrose in the centrifuge tube. When centrifuged, particles will move through the sucrose solution until they reach a point where their density matches that of the surrounding sucrose solution.
Applications
Centrifugation is used in a variety of fields, including chemistry, biology, and medicine. In medicine, it is used in clinical laboratories for the separation of bodily fluids. For example, blood centrifugation is used to separate blood cells from plasma.
Related Terms
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Centrifugation
- Wikipedia's article - Centrifugation
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