Hyperchromicity is the increase of absorbance (optical density) of a material. The most famous example is the hyperchromicity of DNA that occurs when the DNA duplex is denatured.[1] The UV absorption is increased when the two single DNA strands are being separated, either by heat or by addition of denaturant or by increasing the pH level. The opposite, a decrease of absorbance is called hypochromicity.
- ^ Ackerman, Megan M.; Ricciardi, Christopher; Weiss, David; Chant, Alan; Kraemer-Chant, Christina M. (2016). "Analyzing Exonuclease-Induced Hyperchromicity by UV Spectroscopy: An Undergraduate Biochemistry Laboratory Experiment". Journal of Chemical Education. 93 (12): 2089–2095. Bibcode:2016JChEd..93.2089A. doi:10.1021/acs.jchemed.6b00095.