FLUORESCENCE POLARIZATION Meaning and
Definition
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Fluorescence polarization refers to a spectroscopic technique that measures the rotational mobility of fluorescent molecules or labeled compounds in a sample. When a polarized beam of light is used to excite a fluorophore, the emitted light becomes partially depolarized due to molecular rotation during the fluorescence lifetime. By measuring the degree of depolarization, the technique can provide detailed information about fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), molecular size, and shape.
In fluorescence polarization experiments, a polarizing filter is placed in front of the fluorescence detector to measure the angle of polarization of emitted light. The sample is excited with polarized light, and the emitted fluorescence is observed at a right angle to the excitation beam. As the fluorophore rotates, the emitted light becomes partially depolarized. This depolarization is quantified using the fluorescence polarization value, which is calculated as the difference between the parallel and perpendicular components of the emitted light.
Fluorescence polarization is commonly used in various biomedical and pharmaceutical applications, particularly in drug discovery and screening assays. It enables the study of molecular interactions, such as protein-protein interactions, by monitoring changes in the rotational diffusion rates of fluorescently labeled molecules in the presence or absence of binding partners. The technique can also be used to characterize the binding affinity, kinetics, and specificity of molecular interactions, making it a valuable tool in molecular biology and biochemistry research.
Common Misspellings for FLUORESCENCE POLARIZATION
- dluorescence polarization
- cluorescence polarization
- vluorescence polarization
- gluorescence polarization
- tluorescence polarization
- rluorescence polarization
- fkuorescence polarization
- fpuorescence polarization
- fouorescence polarization
- flyorescence polarization
- flhorescence polarization
- fljorescence polarization
- fliorescence polarization
- fl8orescence polarization
- fl7orescence polarization
- fluirescence polarization
- flukrescence polarization
- flulrescence polarization
- fluprescence polarization
- flu0rescence polarization
Etymology of FLUORESCENCE POLARIZATION
The word "fluorescence" is derived from the Latin word "fluere", meaning "to flow", and the Latin word "escere", meaning "to become". It refers to the emission of light or other radiation by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation.
The term "polarization" comes from the Latin word "polaris", meaning "pertaining to a pole". In physics, polarization refers to the orientation of an electromagnetic wave, specifically the direction of the electric field.
When combined, "fluorescence polarization" refers to a technique used in spectroscopy and biophysics to measure the polarization of fluorescent light emitted from a sample. It takes advantage of the fact that the polarization of emitted light is influenced by the rotational motion of the fluorophores (fluorescent molecules) in the sample.
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