Question

What is elution in the process of separation of DNA fragments?

Answer 1

1. Elution is generally a process of extracting one material from another by washing with a solvent
   
2. It helps in the extraction of sample material into the solution so that it can be tested easily.
3. DNA is separated by the process of agarose gel electrophoresis.
4. When the sample DNA fragments are loaded on an agarose gel, being negatively charged it moves towards the anode.
5. The separated DNA fragments are stained with ethidium bromide and exposed to UV radiation.
6. The separated bands of DNA are cut out from the agarose gel and extracted from the gel piece. This step is known as elution.
   
7. The DNA extracted from elution is amplified by PCR and can be used for several techniques like DNA fingerprinting etc.