1. having equal electric potential or charge; relating to a state in which the net electric charge is zero
Usage: chemistry and biochemistry term; commonly used in protein and amino acid chemistry
2. of or relating to the isoelectric point, the pH at which a molecule (especially a protein or amino acid) carries no net electric charge
Usage: technical term in biochemistry

Examples

• At its isoelectric point, the protein has no net charge and will not migrate in an electric field.
• The amino acid glycine reaches its isoelectric state at a specific pH value.
• Biochemists use isoelectric focusing to separate proteins based on their isoelectric points.
• When a solution is at the isoelectric pH, the molecule is electrically neutral.
• The isoelectric point varies depending on the composition of amino acids in the protein.