Name _____________________________________________ Date __________Period ________

Chromosome extraction (DNA and associated proteins)

Safety:
You will be working with your saliva. Dont allow others to touch your saliva and take care not to touch others.
You will be using soap and alcohol, so it will be fairly easy to clean.
1)
2)

Obtain a test tube

Scrape your inner cheek with the FLAT end of the toothpick.

3)

Obtain a small cup of Gatorade and swish it around in your mouth for 1 full minute. As you swish, gently and continuously scrape the
sides of your cheeks with your teeth to help release your cheek cells.

4)

Spit the drink (with your collected cheek cells) back into the small cup.

5)

Add a small pinch of salt to the cup and swirl to mix the salt and saliva.
** Salt helps to precipitate out the DNA from the saliva.

6)

Pour the contents of the cup into your test tube (discard the cup).

7) carefully add a thin layer of soap to the saliva (about ten drops)
** The soap is a surfactant. This aids in the break-down of the lipids that make the cell membrane and the nuclear membrane. It is
necessary to break down the cell and nuclear membrane to release the contents of the cell and nucleus because the DNA is inside the
nucleus
8)

Swirl or gently tap to mix (do not shake up and down!)

9)

Taking ICE COLD alcohol, carefully trickle the alcohol down the side of the tube to form a LAYER about 1 inch high over the
saliva. DO NOT ALLOW THE LAYERS TO MIX.
Make an ice water bath by putting a few pieces of ice into a beaker and setting the test tube inside it. This will keep the test tube
COLD. Warm temperatures will cause DNA to re-dissolve. If DNA re-dissolves, you cant see it.
10) After several minutes, lift the test tube to see the chromosomes starting to precipitate out of the saliva. The DNA will form a
crystal-bubbly-slimy suspension in the alcohol layer.
11) Using a pipette dropper, lift out the DNA and look at it.

Rinse the test tubes and place them into the dishwasher basket upside down.
Questions - Use
What is a surfactant?

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Why is it necessary to break down the cell and nuclear membranes?
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What does to precipitate out mean? Use a dictionary!
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Does the DNA precipitate out of the liquid in the tube? ___________________________
Why is DNA referred to as your genetic fingerprint? What does DNA have in common with fingerprints?
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DNA extraction is the first step in obtaining DNA for research. This bit of DNA could be used to isolate a particular gene to
study.

Why is it necessary to keep the DNA cold in the isolation process?

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