Agarose gel electrophoresis

Agarose Gel Electrophoresis

Agarose gel electrophoresis (/əˈɡærəˌroʊz dʒɛl ɪˌlɛktrəˈfoʊrɪsɪs/) is a method used in biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, and clinical chemistry to separate a mixed population of DNA or proteins in a matrix of agarose, one of the two main components of agar.

Etymology

The term "agarose" derives from "agar-agar", a Malay word for red algae (from which agar is derived) and "-ose", a suffix used in biochemistry to form names of sugars. The term "electrophoresis" is derived from the Greek words "electron" (amber), referring to the medium that carries a charge, and "phoresis" (carriage), referring to the movement.

Procedure

Agarose gel electrophoresis involves the application of an electric field to move the charged molecules through an agarose matrix, and the molecules are separated by size in the gel's pores. The gel acts as a sieve through which smaller molecules can move easily whereas larger molecules move slowly or not at all.

Applications

Agarose gel electrophoresis is widely used for the separation and analysis of macromolecules, particularly proteins and nucleic acids. It is also used in clinical laboratories for the diagnosis of genetic disorders, infections, and malignancies.

Related Terms

• Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis: Another type of gel electrophoresis used for smaller molecules.
• Southern blot: A method used in molecular biology for detection of a specific DNA sequence in DNA samples.
• Northern blot: A technique used in molecular biology research to study gene expression by detection of RNA (or isolated mRNA) in a sample.

See Also

• Molecular biology
• Biochemistry
• Genetics
• Clinical chemistry

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Agarose gel electrophoresis
• Wikipedia's article - Agarose gel electrophoresis

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