CARRIER AMPHOLYTES Meaning and
Definition
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Carrier ampholytes are a type of substance used in isoelectric focusing (IEF), a technique commonly employed in protein analysis and separation. They play a vital role in maintaining pH gradients necessary for the process of electrophoretic separation. These ampholytes are amphoteric molecules capable of accepting or donating protons depending on the pH of the surrounding environment.
In IEF, carrier ampholytes act as buffering agents and are mixed with the protein sample to establish a pH gradient within the separating gel. They have different pKa values which cover a wide pH range. As the mixture is subjected to an electric field, the ampholytes migrate towards their respective isoelectric points (pI), which is the pH at which they carry zero net charge. This migration forms a stable pH gradient within the gel, with acidic ampholytes accumulating near the anode and basic ampholytes near the cathode.
During this process, the carrier ampholytes create a pH landscape that allows proteins to move through the gel and focus into discrete bands corresponding to their pI values. This separation is achieved by balancing the migration of carrier ampholytes with the movement of proteins, resulting in the positioning of each protein at its pI within the pH gradient.
Carrier ampholytes are typically synthetic polypeptides that are chemically modified to exhibit suitable pKa values. They are commonly used in gel-based techniques such as isoelectric focusing, offering a precise and reproducible method for the separation and analysis of complex protein mixtures.
Common Misspellings for CARRIER AMPHOLYTES
- xarrier ampholytes
- varrier ampholytes
- farrier ampholytes
- darrier ampholytes
- czrrier ampholytes
- csrrier ampholytes
- cwrrier ampholytes
- cqrrier ampholytes
- caerier ampholytes
- cadrier ampholytes
- cafrier ampholytes
- catrier ampholytes
- ca5rier ampholytes
- ca4rier ampholytes
- careier ampholytes
- cardier ampholytes
- carfier ampholytes
- cartier ampholytes
- car5ier ampholytes
- car4ier ampholytes
Etymology of CARRIER AMPHOLYTES
The word "Carrier Ampholytes" is derived from two separate terms: "carrier" and "ampholytes".
- "Carrier" refers to substances that are utilized to transport other molecules or ions within a system. In the context of electrophoresis, "carrier" typically refers to a medium or solution that helps in the separation and movement of biomolecules (such as proteins).
- "Ampholytes" refers to molecules that possess both acidic and basic properties. It comes from the Greek words "amphi" (meaning "both") and "lytos" (meaning "loosed" or "freed"). In the context of isoelectric focusing (a technique used in electrophoresis), ampholytes are substances that can act as both acids and bases, enabling the establishment of a pH gradient necessary for the separation of biomolecules based on their isoelectric points.
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