Biochemistry without oxygen. 1987

S W Englander, and D B Calhoun, and J J Englander

Published procedures for experimentation under anoxic conditions generally involve specialized apparatus that hinders the easy manipulation of experimental samples. We describe here some procedures that rapidly remove oxygen from experimental solutions, maintain anoxia with simple equipment for long periods of time, and do not interfere with normal sample addition and removal, spectrometric measurements, chromatographic manipulations, and the like. Anoxia can be achieved and maintained by the use of an enzyme system (glucose oxidase, glucose, catalase), or an inorganic oxygen-reducing system (ferrous pyrophosphate), or dithionite. Physical isolation of experimental samples from atmospheric oxygen can be maintained by continuous flushing with treated argon gas and/or by an overlay of heavy mineral oil.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008899 Mineral Oil A mixture of liquid hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum. It is used as laxative, lubricant, ointment base, and emollient. Liquid Paraffin,Petrolatum, Liquid,Drakeol,Vaseline Oil,Liquid Petrolatum,Oil, Mineral,Oil, Vaseline,Paraffin, Liquid
D010084 Oxidation-Reduction A chemical reaction in which an electron is transferred from one molecule to another. The electron-donating molecule is the reducing agent or reductant; the electron-accepting molecule is the oxidizing agent or oxidant. Reducing and oxidizing agents function as conjugate reductant-oxidant pairs or redox pairs (Lehninger, Principles of Biochemistry, 1982, p471). Redox,Oxidation Reduction
D010100 Oxygen An element with atomic symbol O, atomic number 8, and atomic weight [15.99903; 15.99977]. It is the most abundant element on earth and essential for respiration. Dioxygen,Oxygen-16,Oxygen 16
D002850 Chromatography, Gel Chromatography on non-ionic gels without regard to the mechanism of solute discrimination. Chromatography, Exclusion,Chromatography, Gel Permeation,Chromatography, Molecular Sieve,Gel Filtration,Gel Filtration Chromatography,Chromatography, Size Exclusion,Exclusion Chromatography,Gel Chromatography,Gel Permeation Chromatography,Molecular Sieve Chromatography,Chromatography, Gel Filtration,Exclusion Chromatography, Size,Filtration Chromatography, Gel,Filtration, Gel,Sieve Chromatography, Molecular,Size Exclusion Chromatography
D004227 Dithionite Dithionite. The dithionous acid ion and its salts. Hyposulfite,Sodium Dithionite,Dithionite, Sodium
D005296 Ferrous Compounds Inorganic or organic compounds that contain divalent iron. Compounds, Ferrous
D001128 Argon A noble gas with the atomic symbol Ar, atomic number 18, and atomic weight 39.948. It is used in fluorescent tubes and wherever an inert atmosphere is desired and nitrogen cannot be used. Argon-40,Argon 40

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