Here is what each item is doing.ĭish soap helps to dissolve the cell membrane, which is a lipid (fatty) layer. How does Strawberry DNA Extraction Work?Įverything works together in this science lab to perfectly extract the strawberry DNA. If you are making slides, ensure you stretch it out, both length and width so you can really expose all the details under the microscope. Then we created a slide with our strawberry DNA and looked at it under the microscope. We really enjoyed using a magnifying glass. Watch as the DNA strands separate from the red strawberry liquid!Ĭlose up of Strawberry DNA on a slide, taken with a macro lens. Tip the cup so it slides down the side of the glass. Pour about a tablespoon of the cold isopropyl alcohol into the cup. If you find the coffee filter doesn’t work for you, you can try putting the coffee filter in a funnel or use cheesecloth instead of the coffee filter. You don’t want any solids getting into the glass, only the liquid. Be very careful you don’t rip the filter. You can VERY GENTLY lift and squeeze the filter if you need to get a bit more liquid out. Pour the mashed up strawberry mixture into the filter so only the liquid flows into the cup. Press it into the cup so the smashed strawberries can be poured in without overflowing. Mash it around for one more minute.Īdd a coffee filter to a clean cup. Once mashed, add 20mL of the extraction liquid. Don’t use any tools as that can rip the bag, plus this is more fun for the kids! Then start mashing! You want to mash it up completely until there are no lumps. Remove the greens from the strawberries and place two in a plastic bag and seal it tightly. Gently mix (you don’t want to form bubbles). In one cup mix 60mL (1/4 cup) of water (room temperature) with 1 tablespoon of dish detergent soap and 1 teaspoon of salt. You want it cold.Ĭreate the DNA Extraction Liquid. Place the alcohol in the freezer for at least an hour. Magnifying Glass will work too if you don’t have a microscope. Syringe, measuring cups, measuring spoons (whatever you have on had will work!) Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol will work too) Sealable plastic bag (thicker freezer bags are best)ĭish soap (we used a clear one so the colour did not affect our visuals, but any will work) Ripe strawberries (a little over ripe is even better!) If you use frozen, make sure they are completely thawed. Now we have talked a lot about DNA and strawberries, let’s get started on our DNA extraction lab. That said, once your students have mastered extracting DNA from strawberries, why not challenge them to see if they can extract the DNA from other fruit? Bananas, kiwis and even oatmeal are great options! How to Extract DNA from a Strawberry That means there is a LOT of extra DNA to extract from a strawberry leading to higher success rates for students. Human cells are diploid, meaning they have two sets of chromosomes. That means they have eight copies of each type of DNA chromosome. Strawberries contain enzymes called pectinases and cellulases that help to break down cell walls, this helps release that precious DNA.They are easy for kids to pulverize with their hands.Strawberries are easy to access in most places in the world.There are some very good reasons why strawberries are the perfect DNA extraction experiment for a student lab. Why is Strawberry Used for DNA Extraction? To this day, scientists all over the world are continually working to unlock the secrets hidden the DNA code of our cells. It wasn’t until the 1940’s that scientists started to understand how DNA was involved in hereditary traits. Humans have 46 chromosomes arranged in 23 pairs.ĭNA was discovered in 1869 by Friedrich Miescher, but Miescher’s discovery was just the beginning. It lives in a cells nucleus in pairs called chromosomes. The study of DNA is used in so many different ways by scientists all over the world.ĭNA is a double helix with the two strands chemically linked like a spiral shaped ladder. When they study DNA they can learn about extinct species (like dinosaurs), they can create vaccines and medications, they can use DNA to solve crimes, and so much more. It is packed full of information that controls how an organism looks and functions. Scientists study DNA because it is like the textbook for an organism. Each cell has an entire copy of these instructions in its nucleus. OK, our kids might have heard of DNA but do they really know what it is? Let’s get some terminology and explanations out of the way first.ĭNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid, it is found in the cells of all living organisms and is basically the instructions or blueprints for our bodies.
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