Difference Between Electrophoresis and Chromatography

Electrophoresis vs Chromatography

Chemists perform different chemical functions daily. They also perform different procedures, calculations, experiments, and a lot more. This type of career must be kind of difficult to handle but is fulfilling for them.

Electrophoresis and chromatography are generally a separation technique employed by chemists. Chromatography and electrophoresis differ in the different phases. This is one of the major differences.

In electrophoresis, it consists of a stationary phase and a wet mobile phase. The stationary phase is defined as a solid phase, and the wet mobile phase is defined as either acidic or basic. In chromatography, it consists of a stationary phase and a mobile phase. The mobile phase is a liquid or gas phase.

Chromatography is mainly used in toxicology. This process is used to know what drugs were abused by separating it. In this process, a liquid or gas mixture undergoes different distribution through particles via flowing in a mobile phase which is solid or liquid.

Electrophoresis, on the other hand, is used by microbiologists. They use this process for DNA and RNA by arrangement and separation of nucleic acids. In electrophoresis, a medium is used such as paper. It can also be gel. In this process, two phases are needed: the solid phase and the gas phase in order to successfully separate the mixture.

Other uses of chromatography are to determine the amount of chemicals in drugs or medicines used for samples. Chromatography is also used in hospitals. They use it to assess the level or amount of alcohol in the body of a patient. Once this is determined, doctors can intervene appropriately. Chromatography can also be used during an investigation to differentiate sample evidence from crime scenes.

Electrophoresis can be used for protein separation as well which can be one dimensional or two dimensional. The one dimensional can be used for the separation of protein and nucleic acid. The two dimensional can be used for fingerprinting of DNA.

We may not be aware of it, but electrophoresis and chromatography have great and wonderful uses in the community.

Summary:

1.In electrophoresis, it consists of a stationary and a wet mobile phase while chromatography consists of a stationary and a mobile phase.
2.Electrophoresis can be used for DNA arrangement and separation of DNA while chromatography can be used for assessment of the level of alcohol in the blood and many more.
3.Electrophoresis and chromatography are both separation techniques.

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