Electrophoresis
Motion of charged particles in electric field / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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In chemistry, electrophoresis is the motion of charged dispersed particles or dissolved charged molecules relative to a fluid under the influence of a spatially uniform electric field. As a rule, these are zwitterions. Electrophoresis of positively charged particles or molecules (cations) is sometimes called cataphoresis, while electrophoresis of negatively charged particles or molecules (anions) is sometimes called anaphoresis.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
Liquid droplet electrophoresis is significantly different from the classic particle electrophoresis because of droplet characteristics such as a mobile surface charge and the nonrigidity of the interface. Also, the liquid–liquid system, where there is an interplay between the hydrodynamic and electrokinetic forces in both phases, adds to the complexity of electrophoretic motion.[9]
Electrophoresis is the basis for analytical techniques used in biochemistry for separating particles, molecules, or ions by size, charge, or binding affinity.[10]
In principle, electrophoresis is used in laboratories to separate macromolecules based on charge.[11] The technique normally applies a negative charge so proteins move towards a positive charge called anode. It is used extensively in DNA, RNA and protein analysis.[12]
Biochemist Arne Tiselius won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1948 "for his research on electrophoresis and adsorption analysis, especially for his discoveries concerning the complex nature of the serum proteins."[13]