The Use Of Gas Chromatography For Fatty Acid Analysis Among Anaerobic Bacteria

Abstract

Chromatography is a term that covers a great number of different processes and is therefore a difficult term to define. Basically it is a separation technique; a sample containing a variety of materials is separated into its components which can then be measured individually. This is done by passing the sample over a material which holds back some of the components and lets others pass through. The end result is that the components of the sample are separated from one another by both space and time. Prom this it is easy to see that there are several necessary elements for chromatography. First, a carrier for the sample, some driving force to move the sample, a stationary separator, usually called the stationary phase, and finally a detector. With these components in mind we can now classify some of the different kinds of chromatography and specifically gas chromatography and it's applications. Let us first look at the different types of chromatography and see their relationship to each other. Table 1 illustrates the four main types of chromatography with respect to their necessary components. The type which I will be most concerned with is gass chromatography and its applications, a schematic diagram of a gas chromatograph (Figure 1) will aid in the understanding of the necessary components described above and how they function together.