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polyacrylamide

polyacrylamide

1 9.1
Man-made material that forms gels and holds water, for example in labs and diapers
  • noun
  • /ˌpɒliəˈkrɪləmɪd/
  • Specialized
: poliacrilamida
  • In the laboratory, we used a polyacrylamide gel to separate the proteins by size during electrophoresis.
  • polyacrylamide gel
  • polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
  • polyacrylamide, or PAM

Examples

  • Photo: Physiologist Steven Kappes loads genotypic samples on a polyacrylamide gel to be separated by size of DNA fragment.

    Academic text (1994)
  • We improved the apparatus and conditions for polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to determine the mobility of the isoenzymes of LDH and MDH.

    Academic text (2013)
  • You just got to get a polyacrylamide to enhance the nanoparticle and surfactant association between the two materials.

  • The equivalent of 10 mugs of proteins was resolved by 12% polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and subsequently transferred onto a PVDF membrane.

    Academic text (2018)
  • The amplicons were separated on 10% polyacrylamide gels and visualized after staining with ethidium bromide.

    Academic text (2013)
  • About the same time, Shainberg became interested in another white powder—PAM, short for polyacrylamide—a material used in water treatment plants as a flocculent to clean up the water by precipitating small particles.

    Academic text (1997)
  • Because of ARS research, western farmers have stopped millions of tons of topsoil from washing out of irrigation furrows by adding small amounts of a safe, erosion-fighting powder called polyacrylamide, PAM for short, to irrigation water.

    Academic text (2003)
  • To analyze the DNA fragments, the scientists prepared a polyacrylamide gel that allows for clear visualization.

  • The researchers enhanced their experiment by using a polyacrylamide gel for better resolution of the molecular samples.

Surface Forms

Morphology

polyacrylamide = acrylamide (semi-transparent) = poly + acryl + amide

The word is a regular prefixation of the technical base 'acrylamide' with 'poly-', but the specialized chemical base limits immediate accessibility for general learners.

Etymology

The word polyacrylamide breaks into poly- meaning 'many' and acrylamide, which is related to acrylic, a common plastic used in paint and nails. So polyacrylamide is a material made of many small 'acrylic' parts joined together, which is why it forms gels and absorbs water.