Spectrophotometry and Chromatography Flashcards
What is gel filtration chromatography ?
A method of separating substances according to their molecular sizes
What are the two other names for gel filtration chromatography ?
- Gel permeation chromatography
2. Size exclusion chromatography
What happens to substances that interact weakly with the stationary phase ?
They will pass through with minimal delay
What happens to substances that interact strongly with the stationary phase ?
They will be slowed the the greatest extent
What is the liquid mobile phase collected as as it leaves the column ?
Fractions
What flows through the column ?
The liquid mobile phase
Where is the stationary phase packed into ?
A column
What is the mobile phase ?
A liquid or gas that acts as a solvent carrying the components of the mixture through the stationary phase
What is a chromatographic bed ?
A column or a thin layer of the stationary phase material
What is the stationary phase ?
A solid, gel or an immobilised liquid
What is chromatography ?
A method for separating the individual components of a mixture on the basis of differences in physical or chemical characteristics
Does the Beer-Lambert law have units ?
No
What is the Beer-Lambert law ?
Relates the absorbance of a solution to the concentration of the solute and thickness of the solution
What is the absorbance of a compound in a solution directly proportional to ?
The concentration of the compound
What are the two light sources of spectrophotometers and what do they emit ?
- A tungsten filament lamp - Visible light
2. Deuterium lamp - UV light
What are the essential components of a single beam spectrophotometer ?
- Light source
- Monochromator
- Cuvette containing sample
- Detector
Give an example of a spectral shift in the human body ?
Oxygenation of haemoglobin causes a colour change from the purplish hue characteristic to the brilliant scarlet colour of arterial blood
What can chemical modification of a compound produce ?
Spectral shifts
Why is nucleic acids absorbance maximum at 260nm ?
Due to the presence of aromatic bases
Why is proteins maximum absorbance at 280nm ?
Due to the presence of tyrosine and tryptophan
What is the characteristic absorbance of DNA ?
260nm
What is the characteristic absorbance of proteins ?
280nm
What can be used to identify a compound ?
The unique absorption maxima and minima
What is the ability of a compound to absorb light a function of ?
Its chemical structure
Why do haemoglobin solutions appear red ?
The blue-green wavelengths are absorbed by haemoglobin and the red wavelengths are transmitted to the eye
What wavelengths are human eye photoreceptors sensitive to ?
400 - 700nm
What are two photoreceptors in the human eye ?
- Rhodopsin
2. Visual pigments
Why do substances that absorb visible radiation appear coloured ?
The selective absorption of certain wavelengths from the complete spectrum present in ordinary white light
Where do conjugated double bonds appear in the human body ?
Many of the compounds that appear coloured to the eye, for example chlorophyll and haemoglobin
At visible wavelengths, what way are electrons whose energy levels are closest together ?
The ones that are excited
At visible wavelengths, what strength is the energy of the radiation ?
Relatively weak
What are conjugated double bonds ?
Alternating and single double bonds
What is the wavelength of maximum absorption defined as ?
Lambda max
What is the absorbance maximum of tyrosine and tryptophan centered on ?
A wavelength of 280nm
What is the absorption spectrum of a compound shown by ?
As a plot of incident lights absorbed by the compound as a function of wavelength
What is the absorption spectrum of a compound ?
The fraction of radiation absorbed by the material over a range of frequencies
What are two examples of biologically important aromatic compounds ?
Tyrosine and tryptophan
What are transitions between the pi orbitals in aromatic compounds induced by ?
UV radiation
What do visible and UV radiation induce changes in ?
The energy of the molecules outer electrons
What effects how radiation interacts with matter ?
- The energy of the radiation
2. The properties of the molecules involved
What wavelengths are most useful to biochemists and why ?
200 - 800nm range
These are the UV to visible wavelengths
When is their less energy contained in radiation ?
The longer the wavelength
What happens to energy, the longer the wavelength ?
The less energy is contained in the radiation
What is the wavelength related to ?
The energy of the radiation
What is the symbol for wavelengths ?
Lambda
What can wavelengths be measured in ?
- Metres
- Millimetre
- Micrometre
- Nanometre
- Picometre
What are the different types of radiation that make up the electromagnetic spectrum characterized by ?
Their wavelengths
What is the electromagnetic spectrum associated with ?
The transmission of energy in waveform
What does the electromagnetic spectrum consist of ?
Diverse types of radiation
At visible wavelengths, what strength is the energy of the radiation ?
Relatively weak