PLAQUE ASSAYS Meaning and
Definition
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Plaque assays refer to a technique used in virology and microbiology to estimate the concentration of viable viruses or bacteria within a sample. The term "plaque" refers to a clear zone that is formed on a cell culture layer when a virus or bacterium infects and destroys the cells in that area.
In a plaque assay, the sample containing the virus or bacteria is serially diluted and evenly distributed onto a layer of susceptible host cells, such as a monolayer of cells in a Petri dish. The virus or bacterium infects the target cells, resulting in the formation of visible plaques. The plaques appear as clear zones because the infected cells are lysed or destroyed during infection while the surrounding uninfected cells continue to grow.
The number of plaques formed are then counted and used to calculate the concentration of the virus or bacteria in the original sample. By knowing the dilution factor and the number of plaques, researchers can determine the number of infectious particles present per unit volume of the sample.
Plaque assays are valuable tools in the field of virology and microbiology as they allow for the quantification of infectious agents and can provide insights into aspects such as viral or bacterial pathogenicity, viral or bacterial replication dynamics, and the effectiveness of antiviral or antibacterial agents.
Common Misspellings for PLAQUE ASSAYS
- olaque assays
- llaque assays
- -laque assays
- 0laque assays
- pkaque assays
- ppaque assays
- poaque assays
- plzque assays
- plsque assays
- plwque assays
- plqque assays
- pla1ue assays
- pla2ue assays
- plawue assays
- plaaue assays
- plaqye assays
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- plaqje assays
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Etymology of PLAQUE ASSAYS
The term "plaque assays" originated from the combination of the words "plaque" and "assays".
- "Plaque": The word "plaque" comes from the Latin word "placca", meaning "flat plate" or "tablet". In the context of microbiology, plaques refer to clear zones that appear on a lawn of bacterial or eukaryotic cells when a virus infects and kills the cells. These clear zones represent the areas where viral replication has led to the lysis (destruction) of the cells. The term "plaque" was adapted to describe this phenomenon in virology.
- "Assays": The word "assays" refers to methods or procedures used for testing or analyzing substances to determine their composition, concentration, or biological activity.
Similar spelling word for PLAQUE ASSAYS
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