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Looking at DNA - A kitchen experiment
- 1. Extracting DNA At Home The Tech Museum of Innovation San Jose, CA
- 2. What does DNA look like?
- 3. DNA is a double helix
- 4. What is DNA?
- 5. Genes are like recipes
- 6. Every living thing has DNA
- 7. Every living thing has DNA
- 8. Every living thing has DNA
- 10. An animal cell Cell membrane
- 11. An animal cell Cell membrane Mitochondria
- 12. An animal cell Nucleus Cell membrane Mitochondria
- 13. DNA is kept inside the nucleus Nucleus
- 14. To get the DNA out…
- 15. To get the DNA out…
- 17. Stuff you need • Something with DNA
- 18. Stuff you need • Strawberries
- 19. Stuff you need • Strawberries • Sandwich baggie
- 20. Stuff you need • Strawberries • Sandwich baggie • Water
- 21. Stuff you need • Strawberries • Sandwich baggie • Water • Clear glass (or test tube)
- 22. Stuff you need • Strawberries • Sandwich baggie • Water • Clear glass (or test tube) • 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon (optional)
- 23. Stuff you need • Strawberries • Sandwich baggie • Water • Clear glass (or test tube) • 1/4 tsp measuring spoon (optional) • Dishwashing soap
- 24. Stuff you need • Strawberries • Sandwich baggie • Water • Clear glass (or test tube) • 1/4 tsp measuring spoon (optional) • Dishwashing soap • Rubbing alcohol
- 25. Step 1 Put the rubbing alcohol in the freezer
- 26. Plant cells are like animal cells cell wall Animal Cell Nucleus (like our cells) (with DNA!) cell membrane Plant Cell (like a strawberry cell) mitochondria
- 27. Remember, to get the DNA out…
- 28. Step 2 Put 2 or 3 (or 4) strawberries in the sandwich baggie
- 29. Step 3 Add a little bit of water (to make it easier to pour out later)
- 30. Step 4 Seal the baggie
- 31. Step 5 Smush the strawberries!
- 32. Break down those cell walls!
- 33. Step 5 Smush for about 2 minutes or so… Until there are no big chunks left and the water is very red
- 34. Step 6 Pour the strawberry cell goo into the glass
- 35. To avoid the chunks… • Coffee filter • Cheesecloth • Or just pour carefully!
- 36. What’s in the glass?
- 37. See anything that looks like DNA yet?
- 38. What’s in the glass? Strawberry guts - yum!
- 39. What we just did
- 40. The DNA is still inside the nucleus Nucleus
- 41. Let’s break down the nucleus wall! Nucleus
- 42. How can we break the nucleus wall?
- 43. The nucleus wall is made of lipids (fat!) Lipids = fat
- 44. Soap breaks apart grease & fat
- 45. Soap breaks apart grease & fat And nuclear membranes!
- 46. Step 7 Add dishwashing soap to the strawberry cell gut soup
- 47. See anything that looks like DNA now?
- 48. Why can’t we see the DNA yet?
- 49. Why can’t we see the DNA yet? DNA can dissolve in the strawberry gut soup
- 50. Why can’t we see the DNA yet? DNA can dissolve in Su gar the strawberry gut soup Like sugar dissolves in water
- 51. But DNA does NOT dissolve in alcohol!
- 52. DNA does NOT dissolve in alcohol When we add the alcohol, the DNA will clump up so we can see it!
- 53. Step 8 Slowly add the cold rubbing alcohol to the soapy strawberry goo
- 54. Make two separate layers Like oil on water
- 55. What do you see?
- 56. Do you see some cobwebby white stuff?
- 57. That’s the strawberries’ DNA!
- 58. That has all the instructions for making an entire strawberry plant!
- 59. If you don’t see a lot of DNA… • Keep watching! • Or put your experiment in the fridge and come back to look later • Or do some experiments to see if you can get more by trying out these next things….
- 60. Things to experiment with… • Amount of soap • Different types of soap (brand, hand soap, shampoo, laundry detergent, etc.) • Number/size of strawberries • Other sources of DNA (bananas, kiwis, sweetbreads, peas, etc.)