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Biology vocabulary · Laboratory Work and Techniques

Gel electrophoresis

Meaning in biology, with examples

/ˈdʒel ɪˌlektroʊfəˈriːsɪs/nounCommon term

In biology, gel electrophoresis means: A lab technique that separates DNA, RNA or protein fragments by size, using an electric current to pull them through a gel.

In Turkish: jel elektroforezi, elektroforez

How it is used

DNA is negatively charged, so it moves toward the positive electrode, and smaller fragments travel farther. DNA is usually run on agarose gels and proteins on polyacrylamide (SDS-PAGE) gels. People run a gel, load the samples and compare the bands with a DNA ladder.

Example sentences

  1. We checked the PCR products by agarose gel electrophoresis.

  2. After electrophoresis, the gel was stained and photographed under UV light.

Common collocations

  • agarose gel
  • run a gel
  • load the gel
  • DNA ladder
  • band on the gel
  • PCRShort for polymerase chain reaction, a lab technique that makes millions of copies of a chosen piece of DNA in a few hours through repeated cycles of heating and cooling.
  • DNAShort for deoxyribonucleic acid, the molecule that stores genetic information in every cell and in many viruses. It is made of two strands twisted into a double helix.
  • proteinA large molecule made of one or more chains of amino acids folded into a specific shape. Proteins build cell structures, speed up reactions and carry signals.
  • pipetteA laboratory tool used to measure and transfer exact small volumes of liquid. As a verb, it means to move liquid with this tool.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Laboratory Work and Techniques

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