Explain the role of restriction enzymes in preparing DNA samples for gel electrophoresis.

Restriction enzymes cut DNA into fragments of different sizes, which can then be separated by gel electrophoresis.

How does the size of a DNA fragment affect its migration through the gel?

Smaller DNA fragments migrate faster and farther through the gel than larger fragments.

A DNA ladder provides a reference for estimating the size of DNA fragments in the sample.

I can interpret gel electrophoresis results to draw conclusions about DNA samples.

1
Gel electrophoresis separates molecules, especially DNA, based on their size and charge.
2
Restriction enzymes are used to cut DNA into fragments at specific sequences, and these fragments are then loaded into the wells of the gel.
3
DNA bands can be compared to a DNA ladder, which contains fragments of known sizes, to estimate the size of unknown DNA fragments and determine relatedness between samples.