The process involves passing a sample through a column packed with porous beads. These beads are typically made of cross-linked polymers such as agarose or polyacrylamide. Molecules in the sample will either enter the pores of the beads or bypass them, depending on their size. Larger molecules cannot enter the pores and thus elute from the column first, while smaller molecules enter the pores and take longer to elute. This size-based separation allows for the effective isolation and analysis of different molecular species.
