What does electrophoresis mean?
Electrophoresis refers to the movement of charged particles or molecules through a liquid or gel medium when subjected to an electric field. Because particles migrate at rates determined by their charge, size, and shape, the technique allows scientists to separate complex mixtures into distinct components. It is best known as a cornerstone laboratory method in molecular biology and biochemistry: gel electrophoresis sorts fragments of DNA, RNA, or proteins into bands whose positions reveal their sizes, underpinning everything from forensic DNA profiling and paternity testing to diagnostic screening and genomic research. Variants such as agarose gel, polyacrylamide gel, and capillary electrophoresis are tailored to different molecule types and resolutions. Strictly scientific in register, the word rarely appears outside laboratory, medical, or educational contexts. Derived forms include the adjective 'electrophoretic', the adverb 'electrophoretically', and the noun 'electropherogram' for the resulting graphical record of separated bands.
nounThe migration of charged particles or molecules (such as proteins or DNA fragments) through a fluid or gel under the influence of an applied electric field; a laboratory technique that exploits this phenomenon to separate and analyse biological molecules.
- The movement of dispersed charged particles or macromolecules relative to a fluid under the influence of a spatially uniform electric field.
- A laboratory technique based on this principle, in which mixtures of biomolecules such as DNA, RNA, or proteins are separated within a supporting medium (typically a gel) according to their size and charge.
"The researchers used gel electrophoresis to separate the DNA fragments by size."
"The forensic team performed capillary electrophoresis on the recovered sample to generate a DNA profile."
"Proteins were resolved by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis before being transferred to a membrane for western blotting."
Rarely used; the word is overwhelmingly treated as an uncountable mass noun. A plural may occasionally appear when distinguishing separate experimental runs or techniques.
"Multiple electrophoreses were run in parallel to validate the results."
Every DNA fingerprint ever used in a courtroom — from paternity tests to criminal convictions — depends on this single technique to sort genetic fragments by size.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of electrophoresis
Electrophoresis derives from Greek roots: 'ēlektron', meaning amber (the classical source of observations about static electricity and later the root of 'electric'), combined with '-phorēsis', from 'pherein', meaning 'to bear' or 'to carry'. The term thus literally means 'carried by electricity'. It was coined in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century as scientists formalised the study of colloidal particle behaviour under electric fields, building on earlier electrokinetic phenomena described during the nineteenth century. Related words sharing these roots include 'electrolysis' (from 'lyein', to loosen), 'phoresis' as a standalone suffix-bearing medical term, and 'electrostatic'.
Related word forms
How electrophoresis is actually used
A technical term confined almost entirely to scientific, medical, and laboratory contexts. It functions as an uncountable mass noun in most usage, though it can take a plural form when referring to distinct experimental procedures or runs. The adjective form 'electrophoretic' and adverb 'electrophoretically' are common in scientific writing.
Easily confused with electrophoresis
Electrolysis is the chemical decomposition of a substance by an electric current, whereas electrophoresis is the physical movement of charged particles through a medium under an electric field, typically for separation and analysis.
Osmosis is the passive movement of water across a semipermeable membrane driven by a concentration gradient, while electrophoresis requires an applied electric field to move charged particles.