What is a DNA size standard and why is it used in gel electrophoresis?
You may be referring to the DNA ladder used in gel electrophoresis. The ladder is a collection of DNA fragments of known size (e.g. 100, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10000 base pairs) so that if it is loaded beside the samples, it can offer a ‘ruler’ that can be used to determine the size of the fragments in the samples.