Question

What is the purpose of the tape on the gel casting tray?

1) To hold the gel in place
2) To create a barrier for the gel
3) To mark the position of the wells
4) To prevent leakage of the gel

Answer 1

The purpose of the tape on the gel casting tray is to prevent leakage of the gel during the preparation of agarose gel electrophoresis.

Step-by-step explanation:

The tape on the gel casting tray is used to prevent leakage of the gel. While preparing for agarose gel electrophoresis, the agarose and buffer solution is poured into a plastic tray, and the tape ensures that the liquid solution remains inside the tray and sets into a gel without spilling out. This keeps the gel in the correct form so that when the gel is polymerized and the combs are removed, the wells retain their shape and can effectively hold the samples for electrophoresis.