chao·tro·pic | \ ˌkā-ə-ˈtrōp-ik 
, -ˈträp- \
, -ˈträp- \Medical Definition of chaotropic
: disrupting the structure of water, macromolecules, or a living system so as to promote activities (as change in protein conformation in solution or migration through a chromatographic medium) inhibited by such structure
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