Terminology
There has been some confusion lately with what we should name the compartments in diffusion. Here’s what I’ve come up with:
Top/Compartment with initial sample: Retentate
Bottom/Compartment to which things diffuse: Dialysate
The original word we were using for dialysate, filtrate, implies an active process and was criticized by scientists at NAMS. While dialysate implies dialysis, that is the mode that our diffusion experiments are most like. It may also help to underscore the usefulness of our membrane for a process like hemodialysis. The following attached letter to the editor of a 1959 edition of nature presents a colorful interpretation of the terminology:
How did you ever find this letter? Did you actually venture into the stacks to find a hardcopy to scan, or did someone on the internet do the legwork?
Also – are you proposing your own new term – “Rententate”. Although it’s somewhat fun to say, I think we should stick with the old-fashioned “retentate”.
Sorry typo on the rententate.
I did a web search for dialysis terms, and saw a little blurb about this letter on nature, however I didn’t have access to it online. I went down to the stacks and scanned it.