ABSTRACT
The products of a laboratory are knowledge, data, and information. Assays are one of the primary means by which laboratory analysts obtain data or information. A vast number of assays and tests are performed by biologists. Analysts often use assay methods that other people have invented, developed, and optimized. The work of cells is performed by biological macromolecules. Biological macromolecules are classified into categories: carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids. Sample preparation is an important step in performing assays. Biologists routinely work with DNA and have devised spectrophotometric assays for this molecule. Most biological molecules do not intrinsically absorb light in the visible range, but they do absorb UV light. Biological samples are often turbid, which can cause an unwanted increase in the absorbance of a sample.
