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DNA exerts a negative charge due to the sugar-phosphate backbone of the nucleic acid chain. By establishing an electrical field the DNA migrates to the anode.
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∙ 9y ago
DNA molecules have a negative charge due to the phosphate groups in their backbone. In electrophoresis, an electric field is applied across a gel matrix, causing DNA fragments to migrate towards the positive electrode. The negatively charged DNA molecules are attracted to the positive electrode and move through the gel at different rates based on their size, with smaller fragments moving faster than larger ones.
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Electrophoresis is used to sort DNA by?
Electric charge
When is DNA cut during electrophoresis?
Electrophoresis technique is not designed to cut DNA molecule. When DNA is analyzed by electrophoresis to determine its molecular mass, the molecular biology engineer usualy digests the DNA molecule, before the electrophoresis, with specific enzymes called "restriction enzymes" in order to obtain fragments of diverse molecular weights that can be seen as bands in electrophoresis gels.
What is the main difference between protein electrophoresis and nucleic acid electrophoresis?
There are many similarities and differences between protein and DNA electrophoresis.Similarities:PAGE protein and DNA electrophoresis both cause separation by size, creating bands that are viewed by the scientist or a machine. The smallest segments more the fastest due to less friction with the surface of their medium or equipment.The movement of charges through the medium is what causes the DNA or proteins to move. Electrons move from the negative to positive end of the gel or capillary tube.Differences:In PAGE protein electrophoresis, a polyacrylamide gel is used to prevent convection from altering the movement of the proteins. If the proteins are charged, and there is a worry that the charge will affect the mobility of the protein segments, 1% SDS can be added to get rid of the mass/charge issue. This way, only the mass of the segment determines how far it moves. In DNA capillary electrophoresis, the size of the capillary is so small that it does not have room for convection to occur (it is only 20-50 microns wide). Thus, there is no medium in the capillary but DNA itself.In protein electrophoresis, the proteins are often dyed so their movement can be viewed with the naked eye, or a machine. With DNA capillary electrophoresis, DNA strands are made through DNA replication with dNTPs that are fluorescently labeled for the different nucleotides. Each base is labeled a different color. A fine laser lights up the DNA strand in the capillary tube and reads what color fluoresces. This is how the nucleotide is identified.Protein PAGE electrophoresis is used to determine the purity of a protein sample. It can also be used to see how large the chains are that make up a multi-chain protein if a denaturing agent is added. DNA electrophoresis is used to get the order of nucleotides in a DNA sequence. It is done by chopping the DNA sequence into many smaller bits and sequencing them, then putting them back together by lining them up according to sequence overlaps. This is called the "shotgun" method. Protein electrophoresis can figure out the order of about 15-20 amino acids by a similar method, but DNA electrophoresis can get up to 1000 nucleotides (~300 amino acids). DNA electrophoresis is limited by the low probability that the DNA sequence would be cut into a segment greater than 1000 nucleotides.
What is a technique for sorting DNA fragments by length?
it is called " electrophoresis"
What does the charge of DNA have to do with DNA fingerprinting?
DNA is of a negative charge. So when gel electrophoresis is used on it the DNA fragments are attracted to the positive end of the electrophoresis. The fragments of different lengths travel down the gel towards this end. The longer length fragments travel less and so are farther from the positive end. By looking at these DNA fragments, which are created by cutting DNA with restriction enzymes one can compare and contrast DNA. Thus DNA fingerprinting can take place based on the different restriction sites in DNA (cut by the enzymes) forming different length segments of DNA.
What is responsible for the movement of DNA in gelelectrophoresis?
An electric field is responsibly for the movement of DNA in gel electrophoresis. The net negative charge of the DNA is drawn to the positive charge of the anode.
What is the role of EtBr in electrophoresis?
Ethidium bromide interchalates with DNA. It doesn't affect electrophoresis, but it help visualise the DNA bands after electrophoresis. The EtBr that is bound to the DNA will fluoresce under ultraviolet light.
Factors that affect the rate of DNA migration in Agarose gels electrophoresis.?
size of the DNA
For what purpose might one use capillary electrophoresis?
Capillary electrophoresis is a technique used in laboratories to separate molecules based on their charge in order to study and analyze them. Capillary electrophoresis uses an electric charge to force the movement of molecules since each molecule will go a varying distance based on the weight of the molecule and their charge. Some areas of study that use capillary electrophoresis include DNA sequencing and pharmaceutical analysis.
Electrophoresis is used to sort DNA by?
Electric charge
What color associated with charge does DNA move towards in a gel electrophoresis box?
it is positive
What is the gel electrophoresis use for?
to separate proteins and DNA molecules according to their size and charge.
Is electrophoresis part of biotechnology?
Electrophoresis is used to separate molecules based on size and charge. Since biotechnology depends on knowing what you are working with, electrophoresis of proteins, DNA and RNA is a tool used by biotechnologists.
DNA molecules have what kind of charge?
DNA MOLECULES HAVE A NEGATIVE CHARGE.
Which best describes why electrophoresis works?
DNA with more negative charge loves more slowly
How would the reversal of polarity effect electrophoresis?
Electrophoresis is the motion of particles relative to some fluid influenced by an electric field. The voltage used will affect this electric field, and in turn affect the movement of particles.
Which best describes why gel electrophoresis work?
DNA with more negative charge loves more slowly
