= Metabolomics
<Metabolomics> studies the small-molecule metabolites present in a biological sample, commonly using <mass spectrometry> or <nuclear magnetic resonance>. A measurement can compare metabolic states, but different analytical methods detect different portions of the chemical mixture.
A peak intensity is not automatically an absolute concentration: extraction efficiency, ionization, matrix effects, and instrument drift can alter the signal. Standards, blanks, and <pooled quality-control samples> help distinguish biological variation from analytical variation.
Back to article page
