1.1 laboratory techniques Flashcards
affinity
the degree to which a substance is attached and tends to bind to another
affinity chromatography
a technique used to separate and purify proteins based on a specific binding interaction between an immobilised ligand and its binding partner
antigen
a specific protein with which antibodies can bind in an immune response
bright-field microscopy
microscopy commonly used to observe whole organisms, parts of organisms, thin sections of dissected tissue or individual cells
aseptic technique
procedures in place to prevent contamination, including sterilising equipment and work surfaces
buffer
a solution used o set and maintain a particular pH
centrifugation
a process that used centrifugal forces to separate components of different densities in a mixture
chromatography
a technique used to separate different substances; it has a stationary phase (paper or gel) that the mobile phase (solvent) moves through, carrying substance being examined; different distances are moved by substances of different solubility
colorimeter
a device used to measure the absorbance of a specific wavelength of light by a solution
culture media
a nutrient-rich medium providing the basic requirements for cell growth
fluorescence
the emission of a different wavelength to that which was absorbed
fluorescence microscopy
microscopy technique that uses specific fluorescent labels to bind to and visualise certain molecules or structures within a cell or tissue
gel electrophoresis
technique used to separate samples of nucleic acid and protein by size; introduced to a gel, they move through it die to an electric current; smaller fragments move further than larger fragments
growth factors
proteins that promote cell growth and proliferation
haemocytometer
microscopic grid used to estimate the total number of cells within a sample
hazard
anything that poses a potential risk or threat to an individual or the environment
immunoassay
technique used to detect and identify specific proteins; antibodies linked with reporter enzymes, for example, cause a colour change in the presence of a specific antigen
inoculum
starting material used o grow a culture form, for example a bacterial culture
isoelectric point (IEP)
the pH at which a soluble protein has no net change and will precipitate out of solution
linear dilution series
a series of dilutions that differ by an equal interval, for example 0.1M, 0.2M, 0.3M and so on
log dilution series
a series of dilutions that differ by a constant proportion
monoclonal antibodies
stocks of identical antibodies that are specific to a particular antigen
native gel electrophoresis
des not contain SDS and does not denature the molecule, so proteins are separated by their shape, size and charge
pathogenic
causes disease
primary cell lines
a culture of cells isolated directly form animal or plant tissues; they have finite lifespan and limited expansion capacity
reporter enzyme
an enzyme linked to an antibody specific to a protein antigen; they are used in immunoassay techniques
SDS-PAGE
electrophoresis in which the gel contains SDS, which gives all the molecules an equally negative charge and denatures them, separating proteins by size alone
serum
vitally important as a source of growth factors, hormones, lipids and minerals for the culture of cells
standard curve
a graph that can be used to determine the concentration of an unknown solution
supernatant
the liquid that lies above a solid residue or pellet in centrifugation
turbidity
a measure of the degree to which a fluid loses its transparency due to the presence of suspended particles or cells in suspension
vital staining
a technique in which a harmless dye is used to stain either living tissue cells or dead cells for microscopical observation to allow a viable cell count to be made
western blotting
an analytical technique used to identify and locate specific proteins in a sample of tissue homogenate or extract based on their ability to bind to specific antibodies
