Agarose gel
Agarose gel is a type of gel used in life sciences for the separation of large molecules such as DNA and RNA. The gel is formed by the polymerization of agarose powder in a buffer solution. The resulting gel has a mesh-like structure that allows the molecules to move through it at different rates, depending on their size and charge.
Pronunciation
Agarose gel is pronounced as /ˈæɡəˌroʊz ˈdʒɛl/.
Etymology
The term "agarose" is derived from "agar-agar", a type of seaweed from which it is extracted, and the chemical suffix "-ose", which is used in biochemistry to form names of sugars.
Related terms
- Electrophoresis: A laboratory technique used to separate DNA, RNA, or protein molecules based on their size and charge. Agarose gel is commonly used in this process.
- Agar: A gelatinous substance obtained from certain red seaweeds and used in biological culture media and as a thickener in foods. Agarose is a component of agar.
- Polymerization: The process of combining many small molecules known as monomers into a covalently bonded chain or network. During the formation of agarose gel, agarose powder is polymerized in a buffer solution.
- Buffer solution: A solution that can resist changes in pH when small amounts of an acid or an alkali are added to it. It is used in the preparation of agarose gel to maintain a stable pH.
See also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Agarose gel
- Wikipedia's article - Agarose gel
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski