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Electrophoresis is a technique used by scientists to separate compounds such as DNA and proteinWhen an electrical current is applied, the molecules will move through a gel. The direction and distance that the molecules migrate is related to the size and charge
Electro refers to the energy of electricity. Phoresis – from the Greek verb phoros, meaning ÐŽ§to carry across.ÐŽÐElectrophoresis refers to the transport of ions or charged macromolecules through a solution by an electric field
Electrophoresis is the separation of charged molecules in an electric field. In addition to separating specific proteins and DNA fragments of different sizes, electrophoresis techniques are frequently used to determine:
єЮ The length of DNA fragments, in the base pairs
єЮ The molecular weight of specific proteins
DNA Fingerprinting
From person to person, DNA is basically the same. But scientists have identified regions along the human DNA sequence where the order of As, Ts, Gs and Cs varies considerably. DNA profiling takes advantage of this variability. With the exception of identical twins, every persons DNA is unique.
єЮ Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms (RFLPs) are produced when DNA samples are cut with REs
єЮ Number and position of fragments run on the gel is unique for each individual
єЮ Identification:
єЮ Criminal cases
єЮ Paternity testing
єЮ Identification of missing persons
єЮ Genetic Disease Diagnosis
Human Genome Project
єЮ Effort to map the entire
human genomeÐŽK
єЮ Four approaches:
єЮ Genetic (linkage) mapping
єЮ Frequency in which genes are inherited together