National Cancer Institute (source definition)
Gel Electrophoresis
Gel electrophoresis is a method of separating large molecules (such as DNA fragments or proteins) from a mixture of similar molecules by electrophoretic filtration through a gelatinous matrix. Subject to an electric field, each molecule in the sample mixture migrates through the matrix at a different rate, depending mainly on electrical charge and size, resulting in spatial separation within the matrix of each molecular species in the sample mixture. Agarose and acrylamide in a cylindrical tube or slab gel are commonly used media for electrophoresis of proteins and nucleic acids.
Review and references
Automated source check (NCI definition)
2026-10-18
2026-10-18
professional use
What it is
Gel electrophoresis is a method of separating large molecules (such as DNA fragments or proteins) from a mixture of similar molecules by electrophoretic filtration through a gelatinous matrix. Subject to an electric field, each molecule in the sample mixture migrates through the matrix at a different rate, depending mainly on electrical charge and size, resulting in spatial separation within the matrix of each molecular species in the sample mixture. Agarose and acrylamide in a cylindrical tube or slab gel are commonly used media for electrophoresis of proteins and nucleic acids.
Source: National Cancer Institute, NCI Thesaurus 26.09d, C18091. NCI definition, reproduced without modification under CC BY 4.0.
Source identity and definition checked automatically on 2026-10-18. 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.