Benders'dictionary of nutrition and food technology

167electrofocusing See isoelectric focusing.electrolysis Separation of ions in a solution by use of directcurrent. See also electrolytes.electrolytes Salts that dissociate in solution and hence will carryan electric current; generally used to mean the inorganic ions inblood plasma and other body fluids, especially sodium, potassium,chloride, bicarbonate and phosphate.electronic heating See microwave cooking.electron transport chain A sequence of coenzymes andcytochromes of differing redox potential. In the mitochondriathey carry electrons from the oxidation of metabolic fuelsleading to the reduction of oxygen to water, and are obligatorilylinked to oxidative phosphorylation.electrophoresis Technique for separation of charged molecules(especially proteins and nucleic acids) by their migration in anelectric field. The support medium may be a starch or polyacrylamidegel, paper or cellulose acetate.electroporation Use of high-voltage electric pulses at low-voltagegradients to exchange genetic information between protoplastcells of micro-organisms, plants or animals. At high-voltage gradients(up to 30 kV/cm) used to sterilise or pasteurise food bypermeabilisation of bacterial cell membranes.See also pasteurisation; sterile.electropure process A method for pasteurisation of milk bypassing low-frequency, alternating current.elemental diet See formula diet.elements, minor See minerals, trace; minerals, ultratrace.ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) Sensitive and specificanalytical technique for determination of analytes presentat very low concentrations in biological samples, in which eitherthe tracer analyte or the antibody is bound to an enzyme; theproduct of the enzyme may be measured directly, or may be acatalyst or coenzyme for a second enzyme, giving considerableamplification, and hence permitting high sensitivity without theuse of radioactive tracers.See also fluorescence immunoassay; radioimmunoassay.elixir Alcoholic extract (tincture) of a naturally occurring substance;originally devised by medieval alchemists (the elixir oflife), now used for a variety of medicines, liqueurs and bitters.elute To wash off or remove. Specifically applied to removal ofadsorbed compounds in chromatography.See also ion-exchange resin.elutriation Technique for separating fine and coarse particles bysuspending the mixture in water and decanting the upper layerwhile it still contains the finer particles.