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Which technique is used to isolate a particular organelle in bulk so that its function can be studied or so that an enzyme can be isolated from it?

1) Centrifugation
2) Chromatography
3) Electrophoresis
4) Microscopy

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The primary technique for isolating specific organelles in bulk from cells for functional studies or enzyme isolation is centrifugation, particularly differential centrifugation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The technique that is primarily used to isolate a particular organelle in bulk for the purpose of studying its function or isolating an enzyme from it is centrifugation.

This process begins with the disruption of the cell to release its contents, followed by a series of centrifugation steps at progressively higher centrifugal forces. This method, known as differential centrifugation, separates cellular components based on their mass, allowing for the isolation of mitochondria, chloroplasts, nuclei, ribosomes, and other organelles.

Another method that could be mentioned here, although not the main answer to the question, is density-gradient centrifugation which offers improved separation by using continuous or discontinuous gradients of media with different properties.

After separation, the organelles can be analyzed through various microscopy and biochemical techniques to confirm their identity and functionality.

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