A high-speed centrifugation technique that generates extremely powerful centrifugal forces (up to 1,000,000 times gravity) to separate very small particles like proteins, nucleic acids, and subcellular organelles. It enables analysis of molecular weights and particle sizes in solution.
Formed by adding 'ultra-' (beyond, extreme) to 'centrifugation.' Developed by Theodor Svedberg in the 1920s, who created the first analytical ultracentrifuge and established the Svedberg unit for measuring sedimentation coefficients.
Ultracentrifugation creates forces so intense they can separate molecules that differ by just a few amino acids! The technique spins so fast that the rotor tips move at nearly the speed of sound, generating forces that would flatten a human instantly but delicately sort cellular components by size and shape.
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