Separation of DNA Fragments Using Agarose OR Polyacrylamide - Separation of DNA fragments using agarose or polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. When genomic DNA, extracted from any tissue of a plant or animal species, is digested with a restriction enzyme, it is cleaved into segments.

The segments of different sizes can be separated through gel electrophoresis before a molecular probe is used to detect the segments which have sequences similar to those in the probe. Gel electrophoresis involves movement of fragments or molecules under a high voltage electric current. The mixture of DNA fragments is loaded in a well created on one edge of the gel.