What is "electrophoresis"

electrophoresis \electrophoresis\ n.

1. (Chem.) the motion of charged molecules or particles in a liquid medium under the influence of an electric field; particles with a positive charge move toward the cathode and negative to the anode. [WordNet sense 1]

   Syn: cataphoresis.

2. (Chem., Biochem.) the application of the principle of electrophoresis to separate molecules, used as an analytical or preparative technique; as, separation by electrophoresis; gel electrophoresis.

   Note:

   Gel electrophoresis is a technique in which the molecules to be separated are moved through a gelatinous medium under the influence of an electric field. At the completion of a period of electrophoresis, the gel, unlike a liquid solution, may be manipulated as a single object, permitting the substances contained within to be detected or visualized by a variety of methods, and their relative mobilities determined. It is therefore a popular analytic tool in biochemistry, and has many variants. Popular substances used to create the gel are starch, polyacrylamide, and agarose. Since a polyacrylamide gel can be created with different concentrations and different degrees of cross-linking, the pore size of the gel can be controlled to provide special properties appropriate to separation of specific molecules, as for example optimizaion for separation within a particular molecular weight range. in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, SDS ( sodium dodecyl sulfate, a detergent) is included; it binds to and denatures protein molecules, allowing them to be separated on the basis of their molecular weight alone. It is thus used as one method of determining the molecular weights of isolated protein chains.

n. 1 the migration of electrically charged molecules through a medium under the influence of an electric field 2 a method for the separation and analysis of large molecules (such as proteins) by migrating a colloidal solution of them through a gel; gel electrophoresis

n. the motion of charged particles in a colloid under the influence of an electric field; particles with a positive charge go to the cathode and negative to the anode [syn: cataphoresis, dielectrolysis, ionophoresis]

Electrophoresis is the motion of dispersed particles relative to a fluid under the influence of a spatially uniform electric field. This electrokinetic phenomenon was observed for the first time in 1807 by Ferdinand Frederic Reuss ( Moscow State University), who noticed that the application of a constant electric field caused clay particles dispersed in water to migrate. It is ultimately caused by the presence of a charged interface between the particle surface and the surrounding fluid. It is the basis for a number of analytical techniques used in chemistry for separating molecules by size, charge, or binding affinity.

Electrophoresis of positively charged particles (cations) is called cataphoresis, while electrophoresis of negatively charged particles (anions) is called anaphoresis. Electrophoresis is a technique used in laboratories in order to separate macromolecules based on size. The technique applies a negative charge so proteins move towards a positive charge. This is used for both DNA and RNA analysis. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) has a clearer resolution than agarose and is more suitable for quantitative analysis. In this technique DNA foot-printing can identify how proteins bind to DNA. It can be used to separate proteins by size, density and purity. It can also be used for plasmid analysis, which develops our understanding of bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics.

Electrophoresis is the motion of dispersed particles relative to a fluid under the influence of a spatially uniform electric field.

Electrophoresis can also refer to:

Electrophoresis is a peer-reviewed scientific journal covering all aspects of electrophoresis, including new or improved analytical and preparative methods, development of theory, and innovative applications of electrophoretic methods in the study of proteins, nucleic acids, and other compounds.