melting temperature

symbol: T_m or t_m or Θ_m; the temperature at which a conformational transition brought about by change in temperature (e.g. of a macromolecule in solution) is 50% complete. For example, it is the temperature (°C) at which 50% of a target DNA sequence is hybridized to oligonucleotides present in molar excess. It follows therefore that T_m = ΔH_ot/ΔS_ot, where ΔH_ot and ΔS_ot are, respectively, the standard enthalpy difference and the standard entropy difference for the transition. In the denaturation of DNA the melting temperature is taken as the midpoint of the helix-to-coil transition.

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