What is agarose primarily used for?

Agarose is primarily used as a supporting medium in gel electrophoresis, which is a technique employed to separate molecules, such as DNA or proteins, based on their size and charge. During this process, agarose gel provides a stable and porous matrix that allows these molecules to migrate when an electric current is applied. The gel's properties make it particularly effective for resolving the different sizes of DNA fragments, enabling researchers to analyze genetic material easily. This application is critical in various fields, including genetics, molecular biology, and biochemistry, as it aids in visualizing and quantifying DNA samples and studying various biological processes.