Selecting an Analytical Method

As part of the study of how humans age, there is an interest in learning how the chemical composition of tissues change as we grow older or as the result of disease. Suppose you are interested in determining the concentration of copper in corneal tissue found in the human eye.  How you would approach this problem? Using your library or the internet, research what has been done in this area. You might consider the following questions as a starting point for your research: What is the typical concentration of copper in the corneal tissue of human eyes? What kind of analytical techniques can you use to measure the concentration of copper in samples and which of these techniques might be appropriate for this problem? Given your choice, what considerations must go into preparing a sample for analysis?

About the Author

ASDL Contributor

David Harvey

Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry at DePauw University

David T. Harvey is a Professor Emeritus of Chemistry and Biochemistry at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, where he has been a dedicated faculty member since 1986. Over his nearly four-decade career, Dr…
View contributions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *