Cell fractionation is a technique used to study the organelles that are present inside plant and animal cells. It involves breaking up the cells and separating out individual organelles according to their size. Each type of organelle can then be studied in more detail.
The first step is to obtain a sample of tissue containing the cells for study. This tissue, either animal or plant, is then cut up into small pieces. The next step involves homogenisation, putting into a blender to break up the cell walls and cell membranes of the cells so that the contents are freed.
The homogenised mixture is filtered to remove any debris then the filtrate is spun in a very powerful centrifuge. The nuclei, the largest organelle in the cell forms one of the first fractions, followed by mitochondria and chloroplasts (if the tissue is from a plant). Rough endoplasmic reticulum requires higher spinning to sediment and the tiny ribosomes need the highest spinning speeds of all ~ around 300 000 g.
The first step is to obtain a sample of tissue containing the cells for study. This tissue, either animal or plant, is then cut up into small pieces. The next step involves homogenisation, putting into a blender to break up the cell walls and cell membranes of the cells so that the contents are freed.
The homogenised mixture is filtered to remove any debris then the filtrate is spun in a very powerful centrifuge. The nuclei, the largest organelle in the cell forms one of the first fractions, followed by mitochondria and chloroplasts (if the tissue is from a plant). Rough endoplasmic reticulum requires higher spinning to sediment and the tiny ribosomes need the highest spinning speeds of all ~ around 300 000 g.
