Figure 33.1: Interactions playing crucial role in providing specificity.

Advantages of Affinity chromatography-

1. Specificity: Affinity chromatography is specific to the analyte in comparison to other purification technique which are utilizing molecular size, charge, hydrophobic patches or isoelectric point etc.
 
2. Purification Yield: Compared to other purification method, affinity purification gives very high level of purification fold with high yield. In a typical affinity purification more than 90% recovery is possible.  

3. Reproducible: Affinity purification is reproducible and gives consistent results from one purification to other as long as it is independent to the presence of contaminating species.

4. Easy to perform:  Affinity purification is very robust and it depends on force governing ligand-receptor complex formation. Compared to other techniques, no column packing, no special purification system and sample preparation required for affinity purification.