What does electrophoresis separate DNA based on?

What does electrophoresis separate DNA based on?

• A. Color intensity
• B. Shape
• C. Molecular size
• D. Charge

Answer: (C)

Electrophoresis separates DNA primarily based on its molecular size, making this the correct choice. In this process, DNA fragments are subjected to an electric field in a gel medium. Since DNA is negatively charged due to its phosphate backbone, it migrates toward the positive electrode. The gel acts as a sieve, allowing smaller fragments to move through it more easily than larger ones. As a result, during electrophoresis, smaller DNA fragments travel further through the gel than larger ones, leading to the separation of DNA based on size. This method is widely used in various applications such as DNA fingerprinting, genetic analysis, and molecular cloning, where size differentiation is crucial for analysis and identification. The other mentioned factors, like color intensity, shape, and charge, do not serve as the primary basis for the separation of DNA in electrophoresis. While DNA carries a uniform negative charge, its migration is influenced more significantly by size in the gel matrix.

Electrophoresis separates DNA primarily based on its molecular size, making this the correct choice. In this process, DNA fragments are subjected to an electric field in a gel medium. Since DNA is negatively charged due to its phosphate backbone, it migrates toward the positive electrode. The gel acts as a sieve, allowing smaller fragments to move through it more easily than larger ones. As a result, during electrophoresis, smaller DNA fragments travel further through the gel than larger ones, leading to the separation of DNA based on size. This method is widely used in various applications such as DNA fingerprinting, genetic analysis, and molecular cloning, where size differentiation is crucial for analysis and identification.

The other mentioned factors, like color intensity, shape, and charge, do not serve as the primary basis for the separation of DNA in electrophoresis. While DNA carries a uniform negative charge, its migration is influenced more significantly by size in the gel matrix.