A single nucleotide change in a particular sequence, as seen in a double-stranded DNA, cannot be distinguished by gel electrophoresis techniques, which can be attributed to the fact that; the physical properties of the double strands are almost identical for both alleles. After denaturation, single-stranded DNA undergoes a characteristic 3-dimensional folding and may assume a unique conformational state based on its DNA sequence. The difference in shape between two single-stranded DNA strands with different sequences can cause them to migrate differently through an electrophoresis gel, even though the number of nucleotides is the same, which is, in fact, an application of SSCP.