Dear community,
I am reading some enzyme assays from a book of 1965. There, they use wavelength in mμ, could some explain what they meant?
Thank you!
5/11/23
Dear Katherine,
I'm not sure if I understand your question. If this relates to an enzyme assay, they authors are probably using a spectrophotometer to measure the amount (or increase) of an enzyme reaction product or the disappearance of the substrate in the enzyme reaction. The substance they are trying to measure evidently absorbs light at a wavelength of 366 mμ (which is also called a nanometer (nm)).
I hope this information helps you.
Bill Colonna Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA [email protected]
If the notation is correct it reads as one thousandth of a micro meter, i.e. a nanometer.
Your mμ (based on my memory) is actually called a milli micron (now called a nanometer), since IR spectrophotometers measured wavelengths in μ or microns.
Different compounds absorb best at different wavelengths. A UV-visible spectrophotometer uses light over the ultraviolet range (200 – 400 nm) and visible range (400 – 800 nm) of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum. Whereas an IR spectrophotometer uses light over the infrared range (700 – 15000 nm).
366 mμ means 366 nm
1 m = 1000 mm = 1000000 μm = 1000000000 nm
So,
1 mμ = 1000 × 1000000 = 1000000000 which is (nm)
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