Nephelometry
Nephelometry (pronounced: ne-fuh-lom-i-tree) is a scientific technique used in the field of Clinical Laboratory Science to measure the concentration of particles suspended in a liquid by assessing the amount of light these particles scatter at right angles to the light beam. This technique is commonly used in Immunology and Biochemistry to quantify specific proteins in a solution.
Etymology
The term "Nephelometry" is derived from the Greek word 'nephos' meaning cloud, and 'metry' meaning measure. This refers to the method's ability to measure the 'cloudiness', or turbidity, of a solution.
Procedure
Nephelometry involves passing a beam of light through a sample and measuring the light scattered at an angle, typically 90 degrees, to the original path of the light. The intensity of this scattered light is directly proportional to the concentration of the particles in the solution.
Applications
Nephelometry is widely used in medical and research laboratories for the quantification of specific proteins, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), Rheumatoid Factor (RF), and Complement Component 3 (C3). It is also used in environmental science to measure the turbidity of water samples.
Related Terms
- Turbidimetry: A similar technique to nephelometry, but measures the decrease in intensity of the transmitted light due to scattering.
- Spectrophotometry: A method used to measure the amount of light absorbed by a chemical substance in a solution.
- Immunonephelometry: A type of nephelometry that uses specific antibodies to detect and measure certain proteins in a solution.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Nephelometry
- Wikipedia's article - Nephelometry
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