Gel Electrophoresis

Agarose Gel

Agarose Gel

Gel used in gel electrophoresis, melted and poured into a tray to create wells for DNA movement.

Loading Dye

Added to the PCR product for visualization, contains pigments that move at different rates than DNA.

Ethidium Bromide

Common stain for visualizing DNA in gel electrophoresis, fluoresces under UV light.

Sorting by Size

Process in gel electrophoresis where smaller DNA fragments migrate further than longer ones.

Heterozygote

Individual with different alleles on the two genes, showing two bands in the gel.

Homozygote

Individual with the same allele from the two genes, displaying one band in the gel.

Molecular Weight Ladder

Sample of DNA with known fragment lengths used for size comparison.

Positive Control

DNA sample known to work well with PCR, used to diagnose technical issues.

Negative Control

PCR mixture without DNA, used to check for contamination.

Genetic Screening

Application of gel electrophoresis in identifying hereditary diseases like cystic fibrosis.

Short Tandem Repeats (STR)

Used in forensic DNA profiling to differentiate individuals statistically.

Parentage Testing

Process similar to forensic DNA profiling to determine paternity based on matching multiple short tandem repeats.