Undercentrifuged

Undercentrifuged refers to a condition or state where a centrifuge has not achieved or maintained a sufficiently high rotational speed or applied enough centrifugal force to adequately separate components within a sample. This can lead to incomplete separation of particles, cells, or other substances based on their density.

In laboratory settings, undercentrifugation might result in a cloudy supernatant, a poorly packed cell pellet, or a mixture of components that should have been distinct. This can compromise the accuracy of experiments and the reliability of results. For instance, if blood is undercentrifuged, the plasma may still contain red blood cells or platelets, affecting diagnostic tests. Similarly, in cellular research, undercentrifugation can lead to a mixed population of cells rather than a pure fraction.

Several factors can cause undercentrifugation. These include incorrect setting of the centrifuge speed, issues with the centrifuge motor, a power interruption, or overloading the centrifuge rotor. Ensuring the centrifuge is calibrated, the correct speed and time are used for the specific application, and the rotor is balanced are crucial to avoid undercentrifugation. The properties of the sample itself, such as very small particle size or low density differences between components, can also make complete separation more challenging, even with proper centrifugation.