electrophoresis: Quick Facts

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Facts

Also Known As	cataphoresis

Photos

Astronaut conducting an electrophoresis experiment aboard the space shuttle Columbia.

Fluorescent bands of DNA separated by size appear as horizontal yellow-green lines on a blue gel, showing results of DNA fingerprinting.

In gel electrophoresis an electric field is applied to a buffer solution covering an agarose gel, which has slots at one end containing DNA samples. The negatively charged DNA molecules travel through the gel toward a positive electrode and are separated based on size as they advance.

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Topics

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Key People

Tiselius, oil painting by William Fleetwood, 1965; in Gripsholm Castle, Mariefred, Swed.

Arne Tiselius

Swedish biochemist

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