Question

What is the purpose of agarose gel electrophoresis and why is it used?

Answer 1

Gel electrophoresis

It is a process or molecular technique used to separate samples like DNA or proteins based on their charge and size.In the case of DNA separation we use the gel agarose(agarose gel electrophoresis).Agarose is a polymer extracted from sea weeds.

Importance

It is used in DNA fingerprinting,paternity testing,forensic study,molecular biology,recombinant DNA technology,genetics etc.

Mechanism

Charged molecules move through a gel when current is applied.One end of the gel is connected to the positive electrode and other to the negative.As DNA fragments are negatively charged it is forced to move towards the positive end according to their size.Gel consists of permeable matrix through which molecules can travel.Smaller molecules move through the gel quickly and travel farther than larger fragments.