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🧬 How Does Gel Electrophoresis Separate DNA?

Learn how charge, gel pores, migration distance, and a DNA ladder turn an invisible mixture into a readable pattern.

lessons

~12 min

to learn

🔬 Science

subject

Adults

level

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What you’ll learn

What the gel is doingExplain how charge and gel pores separate DNA fragments.Follow DNA toward the positive electrode, then connect fragment length with migration distance and bands.
How to read a resultUse a ladder and band positions to make a limited, supportable interpretation.Estimate sizes, compare whole lane patterns, and distinguish evidence about length from claims the gel cannot establish.

Questions this course answers

Why does DNA move toward the positive electrode in a typical agarose gel?

The negatively charged DNA is attracted toward the positive electrode.

Which fragment usually travels farther during the same gel run?

Shorter fragments pass through agarose pores more readily.

What is a DNA ladder used for?

The ladder provides fragments of known sizes for position-based comparison.

What does a band usually represent?

Fragments of similar size migrate to similar positions and appear together after staining.

Why should brightness not be used alone to infer fragment length?

Position is the main size clue; intensity has other causes and is not a length label.

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