What is Gel Electrophoresis Used For?

Gel electrophoresis is a laboratory method used to separate DNA fragments, or other macromolecules such as RNA and proteins, according to size. The process involves applying an electrical current through a gel containing the molecules of interest.

The purpose of gel electrophoresis is to visualize, identify and distinguish DNA fragments in order to determine how many different DNA fragments are present in a sample and how large they are relative to each other.