Suppliers of Dialysis Devices (Not included in print edition)
Dialysis effects the simple, gentle, and gradual separation of biological and other molecules from unwanted molecules in solution by selective diffusion through a semipermeable membrane. In practice, a sample of protein or nucleic acid that contains an unwanted small molecular weight compound, such as a buffer salt, is placed on one side of a semipermeable membrane. The dialysate, a solution of low ionic concentration or even distilled water, is placed on the other side of the membrane. The resulting concentration differential between the sample and dialysate provides the force that drives the smaller molecules to diffuse across the membrane to reach equilibrium. Replacing the dialysate periodically restores the concentration differential, eventually reducing unwanted molecules in the sample to minimal amounts.
Of course, the key to the dialysis process is the semipermeable membrane. Although the ideal dialysis membrane ...
