What does spectrometry measure in relation to nucleic acids?

In the context of nucleic acids, spectrometry is primarily utilized to measure the absorbance of light at specific wavelengths. Nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, absorb ultraviolet (UV) light, and this absorbance can be related to the concentration of the nucleic acids in a solution. Typically, measurements are taken at a wavelength of 260 nm, where nucleic acids show strong absorbance due to their structure. By quantifying the absorbance, one can determine the concentration of nucleic acids present in a sample according to the Beer-Lambert Law.

In contrast, measuring the volume of the sample, concentration of proteins, or electrical conductivity does not directly pertain to nucleic acids' analysis through spectrometry. These parameters might be important in different contexts or assays, but they do not provide information about the concentration or presence of nucleic acids specifically. Therefore, the absorbance of light is the crucial factor measured by spectrometry when analyzing nucleic acids.