Differential centrifugation

From WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia

Differential Centrifugation is a common procedure in microbiology and biochemistry, which is used to separate and isolate cell components and organelles. This process is based on the principle of sedimentation of particles in a centrifuge.

Overview[edit | edit source]

Differential centrifugation involves a series of centrifugation steps, where the speed and duration of centrifugation are varied to separate cellular components according to their size, shape, and density. The process begins with a low-speed centrifugation to pellet the largest particles, such as whole cells and nuclei. The supernatant is then subjected to a higher speed centrifugation to pellet the next largest particles, such as mitochondria. This process is repeated with increasing speeds until all desired components are separated.

Process[edit | edit source]

The process of differential centrifugation involves the following steps:

  1. Homogenization: The cells are first broken up to release their contents. This can be done mechanically or chemically.
  2. Low-speed centrifugation: The homogenate is centrifuged at a low speed to pellet the largest particles, such as whole cells and nuclei.
  3. Intermediate-speed centrifugation: The supernatant from the previous step is centrifuged at a higher speed to pellet the next largest particles, such as mitochondria.
  4. High-speed centrifugation: The supernatant from the previous step is centrifuged at an even higher speed to pellet smaller particles, such as lysosomes and peroxisomes.
  5. Ultracentrifugation: The supernatant from the previous step is centrifuged at the highest speed to pellet the smallest particles, such as ribosomes and viruses.

Applications[edit | edit source]

Differential centrifugation is widely used in the field of cell biology to isolate specific cell components for further analysis. It is also used in the field of virology to concentrate viruses from a dilute solution.

See Also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]


Differential centrifugation Resources
Wikipedia
WikiMD
Navigation: Wellness - Encyclopedia - Health topics - Disease Index‏‎ - Drugs - World Directory - Gray's Anatomy - Keto diet - Recipes

Search WikiMD

Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD

WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia

Let Food Be Thy Medicine
Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates

WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.

Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD