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3 Feb 2026

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2 pages

Cell Fractionation Explained

libby griffiths

@libbygriffiths_azle

Ever wondered how scientists study the tiny parts inside cells?... Show more

$Cell fractionation- To study the structure and function of cell organelles, they need to be isolated This is achieved through cell fractio$

Cell Fractionation Basics

Want to study what's inside a cell? You've got to get those organelles out first! Cell fractionation is basically the process of breaking cells apart and then sorting out all the different bits inside.

Before you start smashing cells, you need to prep them properly. The tissue goes into a special solution that's cold (to stop enzymes from destroying everything), has the same water potential as the tissue (so organelles don't explode or shrivel up), and is buffered (keeping the pH stable so nothing gets damaged).

Next comes homogenisation - think of it like putting cells in a blender called a homogeniser. This releases all the organelles from their cellular prisons. The resulting mixture (called homogenate) gets filtered to remove any leftover cell debris and chunks.

Key Point: The three conditions (cold, isotonic, buffered) are absolutely crucial - mess these up and your organelles will be ruined before you even start!

Finally, centrifugation separates the organelles based on their properties. There are two main types: ultracentrifugation (sorts by weight) and density gradient centrifugation (sorts by density). Once separated, scientists can study each organelle individually.

$Cell fractionation- To study the structure and function of cell organelles, they need to be isolated This is achieved through cell fractio$

Ultracentrifugation Process

Ultracentrifugation works like a super-powered washing machine that sorts organelles by weight. The heavier something is, the faster it gets flung to the bottom when spun around.

Here's how it works step by step. First, you break up the cells and prepare your homogenate in that special cold, isotonic, buffered solution. Then you transfer everything to centrifuge tubes for the spinning process.

The magic happens in stages. Start with low speed for a short time - the heaviest organelles (like nuclei) form a pellet at the bottom. The liquid on top (called the supernatant) contains everything else. Remove this supernatant and spin it faster for longer - now the next heaviest organelles settle out.

Remember: Heavy organelles = low speed, short time. Light organelles = high speed, long time.

You keep repeating this process, increasing the speed and time each round. Each spin separates out progressively lighter organelles until you've got neat, separate samples of each type. It's like having different sized sieves that catch different components!

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Biology

•

3 Feb 2026

•

2 pages

Cell Fractionation Explained

libby griffiths

@libbygriffiths_azle

Ever wondered how scientists study the tiny parts inside cells? Cell fractionation is the clever technique that lets us break open cells and separate their different components, like splitting up a complex machine to see how each part works.

$Cell fractionation- To study the structure and function of cell organelles, they need to be isolated This is achieved through cell fractio$

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Cell Fractionation Basics

Key Point: The three conditions (cold, isotonic, buffered) are absolutely crucial - mess these up and your organelles will be ruined before you even start!

$Cell fractionation- To study the structure and function of cell organelles, they need to be isolated This is achieved through cell fractio$

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Ultracentrifugation Process

Ultracentrifugation works like a super-powered washing machine that sorts organelles by weight. The heavier something is, the faster it gets flung to the bottom when spun around.

Remember: Heavy organelles = low speed, short time. Light organelles = high speed, long time.