Editing Isotope analysis (section)

{{Short description|Analytical technique used to study isotopes}}
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[[File:Thermal ionization mass spectrometer.jpg|thumbnail|right|Magnetic sector mass spectrometer used in isotope ratio analysis, through [[thermal ionization]]]]
'''Isotope analysis''' is the identification of [[isotopic signature]], abundance of certain [[stable isotopes]] of chemical [[Chemical element|elements]] within [[Organic compound|organic]] and [[Inorganic compound|inorganic compounds]]. Isotopic analysis can be used to understand the [[Energy flow (ecology)|flow of energy]] through a [[food web]], to reconstruct past environmental and climatic conditions, to investigate human and animal diets, for food authentification, and a variety of other physical, geological, palaeontological and chemical processes. Stable isotope ratios are measured using [[mass spectrometry]], which separates the different isotopes of an element on the basis of their [[mass-to-charge ratio]].