Loosely put, the term "chromatography" deals with the separation of substances within a mixture. Chromatography was invented by a Russian botanist who was studying materials in plant life by separating leaf pigments. By using chromatography, scientists are able to analyze a compound and figure out what elements substances constitute the makeup of that compound.
There are 4 major types of chromatography in use today:
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1. Gas Chromatography is used in places like airports to detect bombs and also in crime scene investigation. Helium is used to separate elements from a compound by moving a gaseous mixture through absorbent material.
2. Liquid Chromatography is for testing water samples across the world. It analyzes metals and organic compounds in solutions to determine makeup.
3. Paper Chromatography is used for RNA fingerprinting, separating and testing histamines and antibiotics. This is the most common form of chromatography and uses a strip of paper to pull up the substances into the paper and separate them out from each other.
4. Thin Layer Chromatography is used in forensics and looks at the dye composition in fibers. It is also used to detect pesticides or insecticides in food.
Chromatography allows for separation of an element into the substances that makeup that element. In some cases, the compound looks to be made up of one substance to the naked eye. Utilizing the aspects of chromatography allows a scientist to decipher exactly what substances makeup any specific compound. Chromatography eliminates masking agents and even allows for the analysis of colorless and odorless substances.
The time saved by using chromatography to assess and analyze compounds in an environment benefits the user by allowing them time to delve deeper into other sections of an investigation. In the case of forensics, chromatography allows the investigator to better manage a scene by better managing the evidence gathered. Each of the above chromatography types has its own merits. The most widely used is paper chromatography. There are multiple uses for each of the chromatography types listed.
What is Chromatography? JACKIE
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