Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) - Project 1 - The Stuff of Life: Isolating DNA
Project 1
The Stuff of Life: Isolating DNA
Purpose/Hypothesis
DNA is present in all life. In this project, you will extract DNA to see what this molecule looks like.
DNA is twisted inside the cell nucleus. A cell's nucleus also contains proteins and other substances. To see the DNA, you will have to separate out the DNA from all the cell's other molecules (see Figure A). You will first liquefy the substance and separate the cells by blending it. Detergent or soap will break apart the cell's outer and inner membrane, in much the same way that soap loosens dirt and grease. The cell's membranes are made of a fatty substance that contain proteins. Detergent contains a substance that pulls apart the fats and proteins, freeing the DNA.
The DNA in the nucleus is wound up with proteins. To isolate the DNA from these proteins, you will use an [The entire page is 939 words long]
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