If a container is filled with a suspension of particles of varying size and density, the particles will gradually settle to the bottom of the container under the influence of gravity. The rate at which settling occurs can be greatly increased by increasing the gravitational effect on the particles. This is the rationale behind the use of centrifugation. A tube [...]
Various methods have been devised for disrupting tissues and suspended cells, but the method of choice is usually the procedure that causes minimal damage to the released cell constituents. Most physical procedures are based on the effects of shearing forces, and because the released cell parts undergo rapid deterioration at room temperature, these procedures are usually carried out at low [...]
Density gradient centrifugation using tubes is the most widely employed technique for separating cells and cell organelles and for isolating cellular macromolecules. However, although it is one of the cell biologist's most valuable tools, it is not without disadvantages, as the amount of material that can be fractionated in a single tube is so small. When large quantities of sample [...]