Biological Applications of Mass Spectrometry
Mass spectrometry involves the measurement of the mass-to-charge ratio of ions. It has become an essential analytical tool in biological research and can be used to characterize a wide variety of biomolecules such as sugars, proteins, and oligonucleotides. it is an instrument that can ionize a sample and measure the mass-to-charge ratio of the resulting ions. However, the versatility of this function has allowed it to become a vital tool in a wide range of fields, including biological research. This versatility arises from the fact that mass spectrometers can give qualitative and quantitative information on the elemental, isotopic, and molecular composition of organic and inorganic samples. Furthermore, samples can be analyzed from the gas, liquid, or solid state, and the masses that can be studied range from single atoms (several Da) to proteins (over 300,000 Da). Most of the different types of analysis can be done based on their state and reliability of the particular technique.