Aim: I want to find out how to extract DNA from kiwifruit.
Research: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-1lDt54kPg
Method:
Equipment:
- kiwifruit
- ice cold alcohol (ethanol)
- large beaker
- small beaker
- filter (eg.sieve or Chux cloth)
- small knife
- bowl
- stirring rod
- 2g of salt
- 100mL water
- 5mL of dish washing liquid
- paperclip
Instructions:
- Peel the furry skin off the kiwifruit.
- Chop the kiwifruit into small pieces.
- Add the kiwifruit into a bowl and mash it up with the stirring rod.
- Measure 100mL of water into a beaker.
- Weigh 2g of salt and add it into the water.
- Measure 5mL of dish washing liquid and add it to the salt water.
- Gently, mix the soapy salt water without causing too many bubbles.
- Add the soapy salt mixture to the kiwifruit mash and keep mashing.
- Sit the kiwifruit beaker in some warm water for 10mins.
- Filter/strain the kiwifruit mixture into a small beaker.
- Gently pour the ice cold alcohol down the inside of the beaker so that it floats on top.
- Use the paperclip to scoop some of the DNA floating between the alcohol and the kiwifruit.
DISCUSSION: WHAT IS DNA?
Humans and nearly all other species carry their genetic information in DNA, also known as deoxyribonucleic acid. The DNA of an individual can be found in almost all of their cells. The majority of DNA is found in the cell nucleus (where it is known as a nuclear DNA), but there is also a tiny quantity of DNA in mitochondria (where it is called mitochondrial DNA or mtDNA. Cellular organelles called mitochondria transform the energy from food into a form that cells can utilise. Adenine (A), Guanine (G) , Cytosine (C), and Thymine (T). Are the four chemical bases that make up the code that stores the information in DNA . More than 99 percent of the 3 billion bases that make up human DNA are the same in every person. Similar to how the letters of the alphabet occur in a specific order to form words and sentences the order, or the sequence, of these bases dictates the information accessible for creating and maintaining organism. DNA nucleotides link up to form units referred to as base pairs, A with T and C with G. A sugar and phosphate molecule are also joined to each base. A nucleotide is a made up of base, sugar and phosphate. The double helix is a spiral formed by two long strands of nucleotides. The base pairs serve as the ladders rungs while the sugar and phosphate and molecules serve as the ladder vertical siderails in the double helix shape. The ability of DNA to replicate, or generate duplicates of itself, is a crucial characteristic. The blueprint for replicating the base sequence can be found in each of the double helix’s DNA strands When cells divide, this is crucial because each new cell needs an exact replica of the DNA found in the old cell.