Gel Electrophoresis

10: Medical Biotehcnology

What are DNA bands

Visible groups of DNA fragments in gel electrophoresis that show the sizes of different DNA pieces.

What is Agarose

A polysaccharide polymer derived from seaweed, used to create a gel for electrophoresis.

What is a DNA ladder

A sample with known sizes of DNA fragments used as a reference in gel electrophoresis.

What is Southern blotting?

Used to detect specific DNA sequences within a complex mixture of DNA.

After gel electrophoresis, DNA fragments are separated by size, then transferred to a membrane, where they can be hybridised with labeled probes that are complementary to the target sequences. This method allows for the isolation and identification of genes of interest, facilitating studies in genetics, diagnostics, and research

What is Molecular weight

A measure of the weight of a molecule, affecting how quickly DNA fragments move through a gel.