Titer
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2009) |
A titer (or titre) is a way of expressing concentration. Titer testing employs serial dilution to obtain approximate quantitative information from an analytical procedure that inherently only evaluates as positive or negative. The titer corresponds to the highest dilution factor that still yields a positive reading. For example, positive readings in the first 8 serial twofold dilutions translate into a titer of 1:256 (i.e., 2−8).
[edit] Examples
A specific example is a viral titer, which is the lowest concentration of virus that still infects cells. To determine the titer, several dilutions are prepared, such as 10−1, 10−2, 10−3,...,10−8.
The titer of a fat is the temperature, in degrees Celsius, at which it solidifies. The higher the titer, the harder the fat. This titer is used in determining whether an animal fat is considered tallow (titer higher than 40 °C) or a grease (titer below 40 °C).[1]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ van Gerpen, Jon Harlan; Rudy Pruszko; Davis Clements; Gerhard Knothe; Brent Shanks (2006). Building a Successful Biodiesel Business (2nd illustrated ed.). Biodiesel Basics. p. 93. ISBN 097863490X. http://books.google.com/books?id=oN5b19Snx6wC&pg=PA93&dq=tallow+grease+titer+(40%C2%B0C+. Retrieved 2009-07-11.
