Biophysics and Molecular Biology: Tools and Techniques by Pearson

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Centrifugation

Centrifugation is a technique used to separate or concentrate materials suspended in a liquid medium by applying centrifugal force. The separation of particles is based on their differences in sedimentation rate under the centrifugal field. The sedimentation rate of particles depends on a number of different factors, including size, density, and shape. A device that generates centrifugal force by spinning the fluid at high speed and separate particles is called a centrifuge. In addition to the separation of molecules, it is also used to measure the physical properties (such as molecular weight, density, and shape). If centrifugation is used to separate one type of material from others, it is termed preparative centrifugation ...