Chromatography is a complicated word that sounds like something people would say just to sound smarter. Chromatography is a very common method used to test substances we use, consume, and encounter just about every day. There’s quite a few different methods of chromatography, but the underlying principle is separation into colored layers. By reducing a substance to key chemical factors, the resulting density layers can be viewed and measured. Thanks to chromatography, a lot of essential things we enjoy daily are continuously safe and reliable.
It Aids in Food Analysis
One of the most important ways chromatography helps us is food analysis. Especially in manmade products, the separation of components lets manufacturers measure consistency. For instance, beverage producers can make sure every batch of soda tastes exactly how it should. On a deeper level, imported and processed edible goods can be quality checked and ensured that they contain only what they’re supposed to. Ingredients of all sorts can not only be identified and traced, but also the amounts of each one can be clearly perceived. Chromatography plays a key roll in food safety and quality control.
It Helps Us Make Better Medicine
Pharmaceutical science is another way how chromatography improves everyday life. Medicines of every kind have to be carefully studied long before they’re released to the general market. This includes clear understanding of a drug’s makeup. Most drugs are a mishmash of chemical compounds which can act both separately and in conjunction in the body. Reactivity to common chemicals and other medicines must be looked at in detail. Chromatography helps by separating out compounds of a drug and layering any new reactions visually. In addition, chromatographic tests of batches also ensure dosage stays on point every time.
It Boosts Forensic Evidence
Finally, chromatography is very useful is crime detection and criminal identification. In fact, we’ve probably all seen a chromatographic process being shown or explained in a criminal investigation movies and TV shows. Using this powerful method, forensic investigators can match identifiers to suspects. For instance, scraps of material such as clothing can be matched up with evidence. Additionally, biologic material can be carefully analyzed to reveal foreign compounds and genetic identifiers. Of all the ways how chromatography improves everyday life, forensic analysis is probably the biggest help that people are glad they never have to think about!
