The isoelectric point (pI) is the pH at which a molecule or protein carries no net electrical charge. This means that the molecule is in its neutral state, with an equal number of positive and negative charges. The isoelectric point is important in electrophoresis because it determines the migration direction of a molecule in an electric field.
In electrophoresis, molecules or proteins are separated based on their charge and size. When a molecule is placed in an electric field, it will move towards the electrode with the opposite charge. At the isoelectric point, the molecule has no net charge and therefore will not move in the electric field.
By adjusting the pH of the electrophoresis buffer to be below or above the molecule's isoelectric point, one can control the direction in which the molecule will migrate in the electric field. This allows for the separation and analysis of different molecules or proteins based on their charge and size.
What is isoelectric point and how us is this factor uesful in electrophoresis
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