Medical Dictionary
Main Entry:
Hof·meis·ter series Pronunciation:
'hof-"mI-st&r- Function:
noun : an arrangement of salts, anions, or cations in descendingorder of their effect upon a physical phenomenon (as the swelling of gelatin) called also
lyotropic series Hofmeister, Franz (1850–1922), Austro-German chemist.Hofmeister is known for his work on proteins, metabolism, and the chemistry of colloids. In 1888 he discovered the relative power of different anions to precipitate lyophilic salts. The Hofmeisterseries is not only fundamental to theories of lyophilic colloids and systems, but it is also important to physiology.
