Practice question

Polyacrylamide is a synthetic polymer produced by free radical vinyl addition polymerization. Acrylamide monomers polymerize into linear chains, which are crosslinked by N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide to form three-dimensional mesh with defined pore size determined by total monomer percentage and crosslinker ratio. Variation in total concentration and crosslinking tunes resolution for proteins and nucleic acids. Agarose polymerizes by hydrogen bonding upon cooling, not covalent crosslinking. Paper and capillary matrices involve cellulose or silica respectively. The acrylamide-bisacrylamide reaction system uniquely defines polyacrylamide gels used for high-resolution electrophoresis.