Iris Maldonado

Mrs. Haggerty
Biology CP 3A
7 March 2018

Strawberry DNA Extraction Lab

Strawberry Character: ​The strawberry is an octoploid, meaning that it has eight set copies of
each chromosome, so it has a large amount of nucleic acid.

Problem Statement: ​Is it possible for DNA to be extracted from a strawberry using the DNA
buffer solution? (Liquid dish soap, salt + H2o)

Hypothesis:​ If the the DNA extraction solution is added to the strawberry, then it’ll be possible
to extract DNA from the strawberry because, the buffer solution (​salt and soap​) will break down
the cells in the strawberry and will allow access to the DNA stored in the nucleus.

(IV):
● DNA buffer solution (Soap, salt, H2o)

(DV):
● Observations
● The amount of DNA extracted from the strawberry

Pre-lab Questions​:

1.)​ What do you predict the DNA will look like?

I predict the DNA will turn out to look like, the pinkish inside of the strawberry.
2.)​ Where is DNA found?
The DNA is found in the seeds of the strawberry.

3.)​ What do you predict is the reasoning behind using soap, alcohol and salt in DNA
extraction?
I predict the reason behind using the DNA extraction is to break down cells, so it can allow more
access to DNA in the nucleus.

Materials Used:
➢ Ziploc plastic bag
➢ 1 Strawberry
➢ 10 mL of DNA buffer solution
➢ Test tube
➢ Erlenmeyer flask
➢ Small Funnel
➢ 1 piece of cheesecloth
➢ Glass stirring rod
➢ 91% isopropyl alcohol

Procedure:
1. Place one strawberry in a Ziploc bag.
2. Smash/grind up the strawberry using your fist and fingers
for 2 minutes. Careful not to break the bag!!
3. Add the provided 10 mL of extraction buffer (salt and
soap solution) to the bag.
4. Kneed/mush the strawberry in the bag again for 1 minute.
5. Assemble your filtration apparatus as shown to the right.
6. Pour the strawberry slurry into the filtration apparatus and let it drip directly into your
test tube.
7. Slowly pour cold ethanol into the tube. OBSERVE.
8. Dip the loop or glass rod into the tube where the strawberry extract and ethanol layers
come into contact with each other. OBSERVE.

Observations: ​During this lab experiment my observations were, when we squashed the
strawberry into the ziploc bag, I noticed it was a better option to do because, it would’ve allowed
better access of the cells of DNA that is in the strawberry. Another observation I made was,
when we were told to squish the strawberry and mix the added buffer solution for about a
minute, I had realized it got foamy. I thought this was a good sign, because it seemed as the
solution was working correctly the way we wanted it to. Finally, when we extracted the DNA out
from the strawberry I noticed the DNA was a clear type of layer.

Conclusions/Analysis:
For the most part, the purpose of filtering the strawberry through the cheesecloth was to extract
the juice from the strawberry, and it was a complex way to extract the DNA with the the many
bumps of strawberry in the way. The other main purpose of mushing the strawberry with
salty/soapy solution is, because the solution is supposed to make the process of extracting the
DNA from the juice it produces. Another thing is, that the reason that we had to smash and grind
the strawberry was to make it more of a liquid, so it is easier to extract the DNA and the juice
can sink through the cheesecloth. Also, the addition of ethanol to the filtered extract was so the
ethanol can remove the DNA from the solution.

2. What did the DNA look like? Relate what you know about the chemical structure of
DNA to what you observed today.
The DNA​ ​looked like mucus, but made up of the colors of white and pink. The chemical
structure of the DNA we observed, is how they bond and stay together.

3. Explain what happened in the final step when you added ethanol to your strawberry
extract. (Hint: DNA is soluble in water, but not ethanol)
In the final step when we added the ethanol to the extract, it was the ethanol separating from the
water, and the strawberry juice made it much more easier for it to release.

4. A person cannot see a single cotton thread 100 feet away, but if you wound thousands of
threads together into a rope, it would be visible much further away. Is this statement
analogous to our DNA extraction? Explain.
This statement is analogous to our DNA extraction, because after we added the salty/soapy
solution the DNA was already separated. Also, when the ethanol was added and mixed, a
chemical reaction happened and all of the DNA cell’s gathered together.

5. Why is it important for scientists to be able to remove DNA from an organism? List two
reasons.
I think it may be of importance for scientists to be able to remove DNA from an organism,
because from the DNA they can see if there are any relations of it to another living organism.
Also, so they can research and study the DNA using it as a resource.

Conclusion: ​In conclusion of this experiment, my hypothesis was proven to be correct, because
when the DNA buffer solution was added onto the strawberry, it made it possible of breaking
down the cells, so their is allowed access to the DNA stored in the nucleus, and it made the DNA
visible.