Indicate whether each of the following descriptions better applies to equilibrium sedimentation (E) or velocity sedimentation (V). Your answer would be a four-letter string composed of letters E and V only, e.g. EEEE.
( ) It separates subcellular components based on their buoyant density.
( ) It can conveniently separate¹⁵N-containing and ¹⁴N-containing DNA.
( ) It uses a shallow sucrose gradient to stabilize the sedimentation bands against convection.
( ) In this method, subcellular components may either move up or down to form discrete bands.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In equilibrium sedimentation, each subcellular component moves up or down the steep sucrose or cesium chloride gradient to reach a position corresponding to its density. It is sensitive enough to separate DNA molecules containing different nitrogen isotopes. Velocity sedimentation also uses gradients, but these are shallow and are used to limit convective mixing.

Indicate Whether Each of the Following Descriptions Better Applies to Equilibrium