picograms
Tiny weight units
Picograms are units of mass equal to one trillionth of a gram.
The prefix pico- denotes 10⁻¹², making this among the smallest mass measurements in common scientific use.
Picograms typically measure quantities invisible to ordinary experience—DNA fragments, individual cells, trace contaminants: The sample contained only 50 picograms of the substance.
Mass in billionths
- microgramsMillionths of a gram
- milligramsThousandths of grams
- massQuantity of matter
- concentrationSustained single-minded attention
quantify · calibrate · scale · balance · units · metric · SI · sensitivity
Identifies compounds by atomic weight
- chromatographyTechnique separating mixtures by differential migration
- detectorDevice that senses
- assayCompositional evaluation procedure
- calibrationAdjusting for measurement accuracy
quantification · sensitivity · resolution · accuracy · precision · spectrometry · analytical chemistry · laboratory
Quantity approaching zero
- minusculeExtremely small in size
- microscopicToo small for eyes
- trillionthDivided by twelve zeros
- submicroscopicToo small for optical viewing
trace · undetectable · invisible · imperceptible · nanoscale · threshold
DNA amplification technique
- genomicsStudy of entire genetic sequences
- toxicologyScience of poisons
- pharmacokineticsDrug fate in body
- drug testingAnalysis for illicit substances
biomarkers · environmental monitoring · doping control · forensics · mass spectrometry · blood levels · urine analysis · metabolites
nanograms
Mass in billionths
- microgramsMillionths of a gram
- milligramsThousandths of grams
- massQuantity of matter
concentration · quantify · calibrate · scale · balance · units · metric · SI · sensitivity · trace amounts
mass spectrometer
Identifies compounds by atomic weight
- chromatographyTechnique separating mixtures by differential migration
- detectorDevice that senses
- assayCompositional evaluation procedure
calibration · quantification · sensitivity · resolution · accuracy · precision · spectrometry · analytical chemistry · laboratory · ionization
infinitesimal
Quantity approaching zero
- minusculeExtremely small in size
- microscopicToo small for eyes
- trillionthDivided by twelve zeros
submicroscopic · trace · undetectable · invisible · imperceptible · nanoscale · threshold
PCR
DNA amplification technique
- genomicsStudy of entire genetic sequences
- toxicologyScience of poisons
- pharmacokineticsDrug fate in body
drug testing · biomarkers · environmental monitoring · doping control · forensics · mass spectrometry · blood levels · urine analysis · metabolites · pesticide residues