Name:

Date: Period:

DNA LAB
Central Questions: Is DNA really found in all organisms? Can it be extracted from fruit?

Materials (at each station):

• Goggles (use upon arrival at station) • Plastic knife (for kiwis)
• Gloves (place upon arrival at station) • 1L Erlenmeyer flask
• Funnels • Salt
• Cheesecloths • Liquid dish soap
• Tweezers • Water
• Scientific scale (with weigh boats) • DNA buffer (make at station)
• Zip-lock sandwich bags o 50mL dish soap
• Large bowl (for buffer solution) o 15g salt
• Chilled rubbing alcohol o 900mL water
• Fruits (DO NOT EAT): • 10mL, 50mL graduated cylinders
o strawberries (stems removed) (multiples)
o bananas (need to peel) • Large beakers (200mL, multiples)
o kiwis (need to cut/peel)

Guided Procedure:
1. Make DNA buffer solution. In a large bowl, measure out and add 900mL of water and
50mL of liquid dish soap. Using the scale and weigh boats measure 15g of salt and add
to large bowl. Mix well, but do not create too many bubbles.
2. Pick the fruit of your choice that you think DNA can be extracted from
a. Kiwi must be cut and peeled (use half or whole, depending on size)
b. Bananas must be peeled (use half or whole, depending on size)
c. Strawberries have stems already removed (use 2-3, depending on size)
3. Place your fruit in a zip-lock bag, press out all the air, and then zip it. Using your hands,
softly mash your fruit (1-2 mins) until it is the consistency of a puree.
4. Add 10mL of your buffer to the bag, then press out all the air, and reseal it again.
5. Mash your mixture for approximately 1 min, without creating too many bubbles.
6. Taking the large beaker, place the funnel over it, and place the cheesecloth in the funnel.
7. Opening your bag, drain your mixture through the cheesecloth and the funnel. The
cheesecloth will prevent any big chunks of fruit from passing through.
8. Depending on how much “juice” you were able to get, you will add an equal amount of
the chilled alcohol. (If your “juice” is about 50mL, you will take the alcohol and fill the
beaker to about the 100mL mark, so ~50mL of alcohol). Read next step CAREFULLY.
9. To add the alcohol, you need to tilt the beaker and SLOWLY pour in the alcohol down
the side. DO NOT mix the two liquids. You want to create a fine layer between the two.
10. Place beaker flat on the table, you should see the DNA suspended in the alcohol layer.
11. Using the tweezers, carefully collect/remove the DNA to examine what it looks like.
12. Clean up according to the directions posted on the board.
13. Fill out your lab write up and be ready to discuss with the class your results.
Name:
Date: Period:
LAB WRITE UP
1. Describe your final results:

2. Draw/sketch the layers found in your beaker. Draw what the DNA looked like.
Beaker Layers Clumped DNA

3. Find a classmate/group that picked a different fruit from yours and compare your
findings. Explain if/how their results are different from yours. (Include their name(s) and
what fruit they picked)

4. POST-CLASS (done at home):

a. Research and define “hydrophilic” and “hydrophobic”
b. Research and define “polarity” and “membranes”
c. After looking up those terms/topics, explain how they relate to the lab you
completed in class.