Retention time is the duration a compound takes to pass through a chromatographic system and elute from the column. This measurement is crucial in chromatography techniques, such as gas chromatography (GC), liquid chromatography (LC), and capillary electrophoresis (CE), as it helps identify and quantify metabolites by comparing their times with known standards or databases. The retention time can be influenced by several factors including the type of stationary phase used, the flow rate of the mobile phase, and the chemical properties of the analyte.
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