Gel Electrophoresis Homework Assignment

MODALITY: In pairs, or Indiid!all"#

$# %hat disciplines or &o's !se gel electrophoresis to s!pport research(
)# How can "o! sort D*A '" si+e i, it is too small -microscopic.(
We cant see DNA even using a microscope, but there is a method called gel electrophoresis,
that scientist use to sort DNA strands according to their length.
/# %hat ) things can gel electrophoresis 'e !sed to separate o!t(
0# %hat is at each o, the gel ends(
There are holes in which DNA samples are placed.
1# %hat gets added to the gel once the D*A strands are in(
2# Descri'e how di,,erent length pieces moe thro!gh the gel#
Short strands move faster through the holes in the gel than long strands. This is why the
shorter strands in the sample will move farther away from the starting point than the longer
strands. DNA of the same length will move at the same speed and end up grouped together.
3# %hat m!st "o! do to the D*A in the gel 'e,ore "o! can iew it(
4# %hat materials do "o! need to make gel(
owdered agarose, buffer, a flas!, a microwave, gel mold and the gel comb.
5# %hat is the agarose made ,rom(
$6# %h" do "o! add li7!id '!,,er to agarose( -when making the gel, and r!nning it.
"ecause the buffer is a slt water solution, and it will let electrical charges flow through the gel.
$$# %h" do "o! p!t 8a com'9 in the gel(
$)# %h" m!st "o! add loading d"e to the D*A sample( -gie me ) reasons.
#t ma!es the DNA sample easy to see. #t also ma!es the sample thic!er, that will prevent the
DNA from floating away $it will drop into the well%.
$/# In real li,e, is loading the D*A into gel eas"( E:plain wh", and what makes it so#
$0# %hat is the p!rpose o, p!tting the D*A si+e standard -ladder. ne:t to the D*A sample(
The DNA si&e standard contains DNA strands of !nown lengths. The purpose is to give you a
reference to estimate the lengths of DNA strands in your sample.
$1# %hat charge is D*A( ;ositie or negatie, and %h"<( -E:plain.
$2# %hen r!nning electricit" thro!gh the gel, what charge is the 'lack ca'le, and what
charge is the red ca'le( How will "o! place the gel, with the sample wells close to the
'lack or the red terminal(
The blac! cable gives a negative charge, and the red cable a positive charge. Since de DNA
has a negative charge, you will place the gel with the DNA sample closest to the negative side,
in order to let the DNA be attracted by the positive charge and repelled by the negative one.
$3# How will "o! know that the gel is r!nning( -%hat makes this conspic!o!s(.
$4# =an "o! see single D*A strands( -E:plain wh" "es or wh" not.
We cant see single DNA strands because they are very tiny, but we can see larger groups of
stained DNA strands with the blue dye that we added from the loading buffer as it migrates
through the gel.
$5# A,ter r!nning "o!r gel, what will "o! do in order to iew D*A 'ands o, "o!r samples(
)6# %hat are the !nits o, meas!rement ,or D*A( %h" does it stand ,or(
The DNA is measured by base pairs $bp%
#f you can, chec! out this lin!. #t is ama&ing' http'((gslc.genetics.utah.edu(units(biotech(gel(