are these the same thing? - (Feb/08/2010 )

Is an electropherogram the same as a chromatogram or how are they different? I know a chromatogram is a colored graph that displays the peak traces for each nucleotide and an electropherogram displays the results from an automated gel electrphoresis, but does it also display the peak traces like a chromatogram does?

they can both be colored or not.

they are similar in appearance. the difference is the source of data.

a chromatogram is the depiction of the elution of material from a chromatographic method.

an electropherogram is a chromatogram where the source of data is electrophoresis (such as a gel scan; it is especially important when you don't have a gel to look at, like with capillary electrophoresis).