PURPOSE The purpose of this lab was to isolate DNA from a strawberry.
METHODS We used a variety of materials to extract the DNA from the strawberry. These include a disposable cup, a rubber band, a plastic knife, a zipper bag, a pipet, a coffee filter, ethanol, a lysis buffer, a test tube, an inoculating loop, and a strawberry. The general objects that we used for convenience and safety include a lab coat, a tray to cut the strawberry, and lots of paper towels. The first order of business was to remove any leaves that were still on the strawberry, as the goal was to extract DNA from the strawberry, not the leaf. Then, with a plastic knife, we cut our strawberry into small, one centimeter parts so that the mashing …show more content…
We discovered that the process of isolating DNA first requires the breakdown of the cell walls. The lysis buffer was added to the smashed strawberries to help lyse, or pop open the strawberry cells, releasing DNA. It was discovered that the lysis helped create an environment where the different DNA strands could gather, and clump making it easier to see them. After that, cold ethanol was added to the fruity filtrate. By doing this, we saw that the alcohol precipitated the DNA out of the liquid while the rest of the liquid remained in solution. We were able to see the clear gooey DNA strands in the alcohol layer as well as between the two layers. We discovered the alcohol allowed the DNA fragments to stick together once again and create a blob of DNA to examine. Other materials like protein and cell fragments may be carried along. Finally, we were able to extract the DNA by lowering an inoculating loop into the alcohol layer and twirling it to catch the DNA strands. The technique of windinging DNA around an object is referred to as “DNA spooling.” All in all, upon the addition of the lysis buffer, the solution became clear and a precipitate was visible following the addition of
METHODS We used a variety of materials to extract the DNA from the strawberry. These include a disposable cup, a rubber band, a plastic knife, a zipper bag, a pipet, a coffee filter, ethanol, a lysis buffer, a test tube, an inoculating loop, and a strawberry. The general objects that we used for convenience and safety include a lab coat, a tray to cut the strawberry, and lots of paper towels. The first order of business was to remove any leaves that were still on the strawberry, as the goal was to extract DNA from the strawberry, not the leaf. Then, with a plastic knife, we cut our strawberry into small, one centimeter parts so that the mashing …show more content…
We discovered that the process of isolating DNA first requires the breakdown of the cell walls. The lysis buffer was added to the smashed strawberries to help lyse, or pop open the strawberry cells, releasing DNA. It was discovered that the lysis helped create an environment where the different DNA strands could gather, and clump making it easier to see them. After that, cold ethanol was added to the fruity filtrate. By doing this, we saw that the alcohol precipitated the DNA out of the liquid while the rest of the liquid remained in solution. We were able to see the clear gooey DNA strands in the alcohol layer as well as between the two layers. We discovered the alcohol allowed the DNA fragments to stick together once again and create a blob of DNA to examine. Other materials like protein and cell fragments may be carried along. Finally, we were able to extract the DNA by lowering an inoculating loop into the alcohol layer and twirling it to catch the DNA strands. The technique of windinging DNA around an object is referred to as “DNA spooling.” All in all, upon the addition of the lysis buffer, the solution became clear and a precipitate was visible following the addition of