Candy Electrophoresis Lab

1) When analyzing the results of my gel, none of my experimental samples contained dyes that did not match the four reference dyes. There were no dye bands that were a different size than any of the reference bands, no dyes that were a complete different color than any of the reference bands, no more than one color band, and no dyes that were moving in the “wrong” direction. Both of the blue samples matched with the blue reference dye as moving the slowest, meaning they're also the longest strands. The yellow, orange, and red reference samples and dyes all traveled the same length in the gel. 2) Out of the four structures of the dyes pictured (Carminic acid, Betanin (beetroot red), Fast green FCF, and Citrus red 2), the dyes that would migrate similarly to the dyes I examined in this lab would be Citrus red 2 for the red, yellow, orange dyes and Betanin for the blue dye. Citrus red 2 would migrate similarly to the red, yellow, orange dyes because all their structures are alike, short, which means that they would all travel quickly. Betanin would migrate similarly to the blue dye because both their structures are alike, long(est), which would make them move slowly. 3) Dog food manufacturers put artificial food colors in dog food in order to make it look more appealing and "better" (tastier, healthier) to the the owners of the dog that are buying the food. 5) Two factors that control the distance the colored dye solutions migrate are the length (longer = travel more slowly; shorter = travel faster) and charge of the dyes. 6) The force that helps move the dyes through the gel is electricity. 7) The component of the electrophoresis system that causes the molecules to separate by size are the gel lanes and the electric current that runs through the gel because it's what causes how fast short structured dyes move and how slow long structured dyes move. 8) DNA molecules with molecular weights of 600, 1000, 2000, and 5000 Daltons would separate in this order: The DNA molecule weighing 600 would be the first one ahead (furthest from the wells), since it weights the least thus would be quickest, the 1000 Dalton DNA molecule would follow behind, which would also have the 2000 Dalton DNA molecule behind it, and lastly would be the 5000 Dalton DNA molecule (closest to the wells), since it weights the heaviest and thus would be the slowest.