DNA Extraction Lab Conclusion

     In this lab, we asked the question "How can DNA be separated from cheek cells in order to study it?"  We found that making a solution composed of Gatorade, laundry detergent, salt, pineapple juice, and cold rubbing alcohol mixed with our cheek cells would cause the DNA to be separated from the nuclear membrane and the arriving near the top of our solution.  In this lab, we took some Gatorade and swished it in our mouth for 30 seconds.  After time was up, we scratched some cells off our cheeks and then spit the Gatorade mixed with the cheek cells into a cup.  We then added a salt, laundry detergent, and pineapple juice.  We placed this mixture into a test tube.  The test tube tilted so when we added the cold rubbing alcohol, the cold rubbing alcohol would be on a different layer in the test tube.  After letting the solution sitting for a little bit, we inverted the tube six times.  We then waited around five minutes to see if the DNA would rise to the top.  When we were waiting, I observed that the red Gatorade did not interfere with the cold rubbing alcohol which created two layers.  Another thing I observed while waiting was that there were tiny particles flying around in the layer of the red substance.  Near the end of the time allotted, DNA rose to the top of the mixture.  The DNA was separated from the cheek cell because of the substances our group added.  The salt facilitates the precipitation by shielding the negative phosphate ends of DNA which allows them to move closer.  The detergent is added to disintegrate the cell membranes and to emulsify the liquids and proteins of the cell.  The pineapple juice acts like the enzyme is added to further break down any proteins such as histones that DNA molecule wraps itself around.  With all this added together, this makes the DNA to come out of the nuclear membrane and then to float to the top of the substance.

     While our hypothesis was supported by our data, there could have been errors due to the time that we let the cold rubbing alcohol on a different layer from everything else.  According the the procedure our group put together, we needed to allot for the cold rubbing alcohol to sit on top of the mixture of Gatorade, detergent, salt and pineapple juice.  Our group did not successfully do this.  Our group put in the cold rubbing alcohol in the test tube and immediately started the invert the tube.  The time to we let the mixture settle was not enough for the DNA to arise from the cell.  Another problem was that the different substances we needed to put in might have been a varied a little bit.  For example, if we needed to put 5-10 drops of pineapple juice, I put five drops but my partners could have put ten of seven.  Also, there could have been a lot of air in the drops that I put in.  This means that I only put two or three drops instead of five.  The different amount of enzymes could affect how long it takes for the DNA to be separated.  This means that if I were to add a few more quality drops of pineapple juice, the DNA could have been extracted in the time frame our group allotted.  Due to these errors, in future experiments I would recommend making sure that there is enough time for the cold rubbing alcohol to settle into the other mixtures and the drops to be a good amount of quality droplets.

     This lab was done to demonstrate how it is possible for DNA to be separated from the cell.  From this lab I learned how different types of substances, such as pineapple juice, had important components which made the lab possible.  The concept that pineapple juice was the enzyme helped me understand a real example of an enzyme, not just some chemical I have no idea what it is.  I understood the purpose of the enzyme coming into this lab, but I did not have a concrete and real example of what it is.  Understanding that the pineapple juice acted like an enzyme helps me understand the concept of different thing such as enzymes.   Learning about the basic function and structure of the DNA really helps because we learned it in Biology class.  Biology class taught me how the different components added into the mixture had their own benefit into helping the DNA emerge out of the cell.   Based on my experience from this lab, I could make my own experiment about what kind of DNA out of different types of cells.  If I wanted to do this at home, I could gather up my materials and perform the experiment correctly because not only know the procedure, but I know background information about how DNA acts and works.  Knowing the background information I learned in my Biology class helps a lot because I know what is going on instead of just doing the experiment because I was told so.