Question

The purpose of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in a two-dimensional gel electrophoresis experiment is that it allows proteins to be separated by:

a) Charge only
b) Primarily by molecular mass
c) By size only
d) Net charge

Answer 1

Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) is used in gel electrophoresis experiments to separate proteins by size only. By denaturing proteins and masking their native charges, SDS creates a uniform negative charge, allowing proteins to migrate through the gel based on their size.

Step-by-step explanation:

The purpose of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in a two-dimensional gel electrophoresis experiment is that it allows proteins to be separated by size only. SDS is a detergent that denatures proteins and masks their native charges, making them uniformly negatively charged. This uniform charge allows proteins to move through the gel based on their size, with smaller proteins migrating more quickly than larger ones.