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Agarose vs. Polyacrylamide The molecules of agarose are horizontally poured.

They are poured in a horizontal manner as it is easy to pour the gel in such a way. There are many molecules present in an agarose and they are held together by intermolecular forces. There are no differences in size of the bands. It can be re-poured by reheating. The powder and solid do not have any toxic effects. The molecules are made up of DNA. The gaps between the molecules are bigger than those of the polyacrylamide. The advantage of agarose is that it can be repoured by groofing, and we can decide whether we need narrow or wide lanes. It is very delicate and can easily break. Hence, one needs to be very careful while handling near wells. While preparing the gel, the buffer should cover the entire well properly before running. The gel should not be very hot while pouring or the agarose may melt. The cost of it is $1 per gram and it is expensive. The disadvantage of agarose is that the bands are not that sharp and the differences between small bands cannot be well appreciated. The molecule of polyacrylamide is vertically poured. It needs glass plates as the structure is very thin. It needs a support while being poured and that is why glass plates are used. Air fastens the polymerisation process and if exposed to air, it will not solidify uniformly. It contains only one large molecule. It can separate the large and small molecules, but better separation of small molecules is done. There are differences between the sizes of bands. It cannot be reheated and repoured. The powder is toxic whereas the solid one is not. The molecules are made up of DNA or proteins. There are smaller gaps in the gels. Polyacrylamide is used in sequencing gels and protein gels. It gets easily riped. The advantage is that it has easy staining property and can be dried to gel. While running, the buffer should cover the entire well and there should not be any leaks. The gel is bought pre-poured and the cost of it is $ 5 -7 per gel. The disadvantages is that the number of samples need to be bought should be known prior; the concentration of the gel should be known before it is bought; they take a long duration; and practice needed for pouring when it is going to be done by yourself. SUMMARY: 1. The agarose is poured horizontally while the polyacrylamide is poured vertically. 2. Agarose is considered very costly than polyacrylamide. 3. Polyacrylamide contains only one large molecule whereas agarose contains many molecules. 4. Agarose can be reheated whereas polyacrylamide cannot be reheated. 5. The powder is not toxic in agarose whereas in polyacrylamide the powder is toxic. Reference : Luzy, S. (5 May 2009). Difference Between Agarose vs. Polyacrylamide. In Difference Between.

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