In agarose gel electrophoresis, DNA molecules are separated on the basis of their ______.

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In agarose gel electrophoresis, DNA molecules are separated on the basis of their size, charge and charge to size ratio. Explanation: In agarose gel electrophoresis, DNA molecules are separated based on more than one factor: • DNA molecules carry a negative charge due to their phosphate backbone, so they move in an electric field towards the positive electrode (anode). • The gel matrix acts like a sieve and separates DNA fragments primarily according to their size smaller fragments move faster and farther than larger ones. • Therefore, the migration depends on the charge to size ratio, as DNA molecules have a uniform negative charge per unit length, making charge proportional to size.

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