In Table 1, there was variability between DNA fragment sizes and the number of repeats between agarose gel percentages. A higher percentage of agarose limits movement of large DNA and increases the resolution of small DNA as there are more presence of small pores. These small pores will allow small DNA to migrate further through the gel while hindering the movement of larger DNA. Theoretically, when using a semi-logarithmic regression to estimate DNA fragment sizes and the number of repeats, they should be identical when using two different gel percentages. Another error is that most of the six individuals were homozygous for the D1S80 gene. One explanation for these two results is the incorrect estimation of the distance traveled by the DNA fragments, because ruler estimations were conducted. Another source for error is the agarose gel resolution. There was difficulty to clearly see all the bands to determine the band sizes and genotype of the individual to distinguish between being homozygous or heterozygous. Another error is the camera used in this experiment which may not clearly display the photographs of the …show more content…
In addition to PCR, gel electrophoresis is a technique that allows the visualization of separated DNA, RNA, and proteins according to size [5]. Both techniques are advantageous to characterize human genetics by determine differences among individuals. Previous published data of the D1S80 locus from various populations such as in Turkey have observed the frequency of this allele and determined there is a large variance among the population [6]. The goal of this paper is to conduct a similar experiment using a sample size six students to identify and analyze the D1S80 gene using PCR, gel electrophoresis, and computerized estimations among all students with a focus on Student 3 in lane 5. Two hypotheses are made: (1) there will be an overall genetic variance among the students and (2) Student 3’s D1S80 genotype will be