Centrifuge

How it is used

Speed is given in rpm or, more precisely, as relative centrifugal force (× g). The solid at the bottom is the pellet and the liquid above it is the supernatant. In lab talk, you 'spin down' cells. Always balance the tubes before starting.

Example sentences

1. Centrifuge the samples at 5,000 g for 10 minutes and discard the supernatant.

2. The centrifuge stopped because the tubes were not balanced.

Common collocations

• spin down
• pellet
• supernatant
• balance the centrifuge
• benchtop centrifuge

Related terms

• pipetteA laboratory tool used to measure and transfer exact small volumes of liquid. As a verb, it means to move liquid with this tool.
• cultureA population of microorganisms or cells grown in the lab in a nutrient medium under controlled conditions. As a verb, it means to grow them in this way.
• PCRShort for polymerase chain reaction, a lab technique that makes millions of copies of a chosen piece of DNA in a few hours through repeated cycles of heating and cooling.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• centrifuge · Chemistry

More terms: Laboratory Work and Techniques

• microscope
• gel electrophoresis
• aseptic technique
• petri dish
• incubate