Strands of DNA contain a lot of information, and scientists have developed a lot of processes to study and record everything DNA has to say. One procedure I've appreciated recently for its understandability is gel electrophoresis.
A special slab of gel is prepared and fragments of DNA are placed at one end. These fragments have a negative charge at neutral pH, so when an electric current is run through the gel, the DNA will migrate towards the other end of the slab. Small fragments will travel more quickly, less impeded by the gel. After a set time, the electric current is switched off. The DNA fragments will have formed bands, with fragments of a specific length all grouped together, longer fragments closer to the start and shorter fragments closer to the end of the gel slab.
There are, of course, a lot of things that can be done with this information, but as a simple way of sorting tiny particles of DNA by length, it's remarkably down-to-earth.
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