Gel Electrophoresis

**Semantic type:** Molecular Biology Research Technique

**Definition:** Gel electrophoresis is a method of separating large molecules (such as DNA fragments or proteins) from a mixture of similar molecules by electrophoretic filtration through a gelatinous matrix. Subject to an electric field, each molecule in the sample mixture migrates through the matrix at a different rate, depending mainly on electrical charge and size, resulting in spatial separation within the matrix of each molecular species in the sample mixture. Agarose and acrylamide in a cylindrical tube or slab gel are commonly used media for electrophoresis of proteins and nucleic acids.

**Synonyms:** - GEL ELECTROPHORESIS - Gel Electropheresis