Question

What is gel electrophoresis? Explain.

Hint:

Smaller fragments move faster through the gel's pores.

Answer 1

Step 1: Define gel electrophoresis:
Gel electrophoresis is a technique used to separate DNA, RNA or protein fragments based on their size, by making them move through a porous agarose or polyacrylamide gel under an electric field.

Step 2: Explain the principle:
Since DNA/RNA fragments are negatively charged (due to the phosphate backbone), they move towards the positive electrode (anode) when current is applied; smaller fragments move faster and farther through the gel's pores than larger ones, so fragments separate by size into distinct bands, which can then be visualized by staining (e.g. ethidium bromide) under UV light.

Final Answer:
Gel electrophoresis separates nucleic acid/protein fragments by size using an electric field through a gel matrix.