Practice question

DNA microarray technology miniaturizes hybridization assay onto a solid support. The platform consists of glass slides, silicon chips, or membrane substrates onto which tens of thousands of known synthetic oligonucleotides or cDNAs are robotically spotted or in situ synthesized at defined coordinates. Each spot contains millions of copies of a specific probe representing a gene or transcript. Labeled sample cDNA hybridizes to complementary spots under stringent conditions. Fluorescence intensity quantifies abundance. Gel and capillary tube formats relate to electrophoresis, while microscopy slides without spotted probes lack high-density array functionality.