National Cancer Institute (source definition)
Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis
Analytical and separative procedures in which molecules, particularly proteins or nucleic acids, are separated by their different electrophoretic mobilities in a hydrated gel. The gel suppresses convective mixing of the fluid phase through which the electrophoresis takes place and contributes molecular sieving. For proteins, commonly carried out in the presence of the anionic detergent sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS). SDS denatures proteins so that noncovalently associating sub unit polypeptides migrate independently and by binding to the proteins confers a net negative charge roughly proportional to the chain weight.
Review and references
Automated source check (NCI definition)
2026-10-20
2026-10-20
professional use
What it is
Analytical and separative procedures in which molecules, particularly proteins or nucleic acids, are separated by their different electrophoretic mobilities in a hydrated gel. The gel suppresses convective mixing of the fluid phase through which the electrophoresis takes place and contributes molecular sieving. For proteins, commonly carried out in the presence of the anionic detergent sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS). SDS denatures proteins so that noncovalently associating sub unit polypeptides migrate independently and by binding to the proteins confers a net negative charge roughly proportional to the chain weight.
Source: National Cancer Institute, NCI Thesaurus 26.09d, C16539. NCI definition, reproduced without modification under CC BY 4.0.
Source identity and definition checked automatically on 2026-10-20. No individual clinical interpretation or human reviewer is asserted.
Compliance note
Reference intervals and interpretation depend on the laboratory, specimen, method and clinical context. This source definition is educational information; it does not establish a diagnosis, product approval or suitability for an individual.