Agarose is a polysaccharide polymer material, generally extracted from seaweed. The molecules are extremely water-soluble due to their large number of hydroxy groups, and the solutions tend to be low-melting point aqueous gels. Sheets of agarose gels are readily prepared by pouring the warm, liquid solution into a mould, and are frequently used in molecular biology for the separation of large molecules by electrophoresis. A wide range of different agaroses, of varying molecular weights and properties are commercially available for this purpose.
See also: Agar