Principles of gel filtration and size exclusion chromatography

The instructor explains that gel filtration chromatography separates biomolecules based on differences in their sizes as they pass through a column.

Large molecules that exceed the pore size of the gel matrix cannot diffuse into the gel and remain confined to the solution surrounding the beads.

Molecules with sizes between the very large excluded molecules and very small molecules can penetrate the gel pores to varying degrees based on steric hindrance.

Molecules smaller than the smallest pores in the gel can fully enter and access the total pore volume of the chromatographic medium.