Chapter 13, Problem 21A

Summary Introduction

To determine:

The diagram of gel for the given DNA fragments.

Introduction:

The technique to separate DNA strands according to their sizes is termed as gel electrophoresis. In this process, wells are present for the loading of the DNA sample at the one end of the gel. After this, an electric current is applied through the gel to separate the DNA fragments.

Explanation of Solution

In gel electrophoresis, as electric current is applied through the gel, then DNA being negatively charged moves towards the positively charged electrode. As the DNA fragments have a similar charge per mass, smaller DNA fragments move much faster towards the end of the gel.

The given DNA molecule is cut to give five separate DNA fragments. The sizes of these fragments are 1633 bp, 257 bp, 1108 bp, 1400 bp, and 601 bp. Gel for these DNA fragments is as shown below: