What is the main use of gel electrophoresis in genetics?

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The main use of gel electrophoresis in genetics is to separate DNA or proteins by size and charge. This technique employs an electric field to move charged molecules through a gel matrix. DNA molecules carry a negative charge due to their phosphate backbone, which causes them to migrate towards the positive electrode when an electric current is applied. The gel serves as a molecular sieve, allowing smaller fragments to move faster and farther through the gel compared to larger ones. This separation is crucial for analyzing the size and purity of DNA or proteins, making it a fundamental technique in genetic analysis, including applications in DNA fingerprinting, cloning, and assessing the quality of samples.

While amplifying DNA, synthesizing new DNA, and identifying genetic mutations are important processes in genetics, they are not the primary function of gel electrophoresis. Instead, gel electrophoresis complements these techniques by providing a method to analyze and visualize the results produced by other genetic methods.

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