Modern mass spectrometry

Mass spectrometry (MS) relies, among other things, on two fundamental criteria. The atom or compound of interest must be ionised to generate charged species, and these are then mass analysed to determine their mass-to-charge (m/z) ratio. From the m/z  values, physicists have investigated the properties of stable isotopes and chemists have been able to deduce the structure of small organic molecules. Further, MS is increasingly finding application in solving biological problems.