Group Member Names: Hector , Joshua , Juan
Per. { 1 } Date: { 2/3/26 }
1. Hector 2. Joshua 3. Juan
Strawberry DNA Extraction Lab
Objective: To become familiar with the lab procedure for extracting DNA from a living or once living source;
Determine reasons for collecting DNA samples; Observe the physical characteristics of DNA
Directions:
DNA is simple to extract from living cells. It involves mechanically breaking down cell walls (if you're working
with plant tissue), dissolving cell membranes and nuclear membranes, separating the DNA from cellular
proteins, dissolving the DNA in water, and then precipitating the DNA from solution.
Many tissues work well for DNA extraction, including strawberries, fresh liver, wheat germ, and onion.
Strawberries happen to be pleasant to work with, so we will be extracting DNA from strawberries.
Humans have two sets of chromosomes (diploid), but the garden strawberry, Fragaria ananassa, has eight
sets of chromosomes (octoploid) that will supply an abundance of DNA for this experiment. Commercial
strawberries, therefore, make an excellent subject for collecting DNA.
Another reason strawberries work so well is that they are soft and easy to smash. Also, ripe strawberries
produce enzymes (pectinases and cellulases), which help in breaking down the cell walls making it easier to
extract the DNA.
After completing this lab, the extraction will result in beautiful, pure white strands of
spoolable DNA. It is so easy and is so much more effective than extracting DNA from
any other source! You will never be able to eat a strawberry again without thinking of
how much DNA is in it!
Safety Precautions
★ Most of the chemicals are fairly mild but treat all chemicals with respect.
★ Wear safety goggles.
★ Make sure you wash your hands after the lab.
★ Wear gloves if you know you have an allergic reaction to contact with
strawberries
Materials:
➔ 1 heavy duty zip lock baggie ➔ 15-20mL DNA
➔ 2-3 strawberries (fresh or frozen) extraction buffer solution
➔ Cheesecloth, small beaker, and rubber ➔ 1 Disposable pipette
band ➔ 25mL graduated cylinder
➔ 10mL 95% isopropyl alcohol (cold) ➔ Safety goggles/apron and gloves(if needed)
➔ Test tube/test tube rack ➔ Paper towels
➔ 1 stirrer or bamboo skewer
Procedures:
Complete Pre-lab Questions before lab: Watch this video with your partner
1. Where in the cell is the DNA found?
The Nucelus
2. What cell structures must be removed in order to free the DNA? How is it accomplished?
Cell wall, cell membrane, and nuclear membrane.
3. What do you think the DNA will look like when you extract it from the plant cell?
White and cloudy.
4. What is the first step in this lab?
First place the strawberry into the ziplock bag
5. What must you do after the strawberries are mashed?
Add the extraction solution.
6. Why is it important to filter the strawberries using cheesecloth?
To remove large solid debris.
7. What will the DNA look like once it is extracted from the plant cell?
The DNA looks like spider web as the video described.
**************************************************** END OF PRE-LAB **************************************************
Working together in your groups FIRST read through the entire procedure and then follow the steps
carefully for the extraction of DNA.
Part I- Preparing the DNA extract
● Place 2-3 strawberries in a zip-lock baggie. Remove the air from the bag and seal it.
● Thoroughly mash the strawberries with your hands for 1-2 minutes.
● Measure 15-20 mL of DNA Extraction Buffer into a graduated cylinder. Then open the bag and add the
10 mL of DNA Extraction Buffer. Remove the air from the bag and seal it.
● Gently mash again for 1 minute. While one partner is mashing the other partner should clean the
graduated cylinder and continue on to the next step.
● Drape a piece of cheesecloth over a beaker and secure with a rubber band around the rim. Make sure
the top part of the cheesecloth is folded over the top of your beaker and that the bottom of the
cheesecloth does not touch the bottom of the beaker.
● Pour the mashed strawberries with the extraction buffer into the cheesecloth and let drip into the bottom
of the beaker. This may take about 5-10 minutes. *** (You can speed up this process by lightly pushing
on the mixture with your finger into the cheesecloth). As you wait for your solution to filter,
complete the questions under results.
Part II: Pipetting the alcohol into the strawberry extract
● Carefully remove the cheesecloth from the beaker with the leftover strawberry mixture, place in used
baggie, seal, and discard in trash (DO NOT THROW OUT THE RUBBER BAND).
● Transfer the filtered solution to a clean test tube. Fill ¼ of the test tube (10-15mL) with the strawberry
filtrate.
● Measure 10 mL of cold isopropyl alcohol into your CLEAN graduated cylinder. Then hold your test tube
at a slight angle and SLOWLY pour the isopropyl alcohol down the inside of the test tube. Watch the
DNA precipitate (separate) out of solution. DO NOT SHAKE THE TUBE!!!
● Then let the tube remain undisturbed in the test tube rack.
Part III: Observations
● Watch where the alcohol and extract layers come in contact with each other. Keep the tube at eye level
so you can see what is happening. What do you see appearing? { white, cloudy, stringy substance
starts to appear. }
***Take a picture to upload at the end of the lab.
● Place the blunt end of a wooden skewer into the center of the test tube.
○ Slowly rotate (not stir) the skewer in one direction. The DNA should spool onto the skewer.
Results and Conclusion:
5. Match the letter with its purpose in the DNA extraction procedure:
{ D }Breaks open the cell wall A. Layer cold ethanol over filtered extract
{ A }Precipitates the DNA B. Add detergent to extraction solution
{ C }Separates organelles, broken C. Filter strawberry extract through cheese cloth
cell wall and membranes from DNA
{ B }Dissolve cell membrane and D. Mash the fruit to slush
nuclear membrane
6. What was the purpose of first mashing up the strawberries?
physically break apart the cell walls and cell membranes
7. What does the extraction buffer do? (Hint: Think of the definition of the word extraction)
helps extract the DNA by breaking down the cell membrane and nuclear membrane. It also helps protect the
DNA from being broken down so it can be separated from the rest of the cell materials.
8. What does filtering do?
Filtering removes large pieces of cell debris, such as cell walls and membranes, while allowing the dissolved
DNA to pass through into the filtrate.
9. What happened when you added the alcohol to the strawberry filtrate? Why wasn’t the DNA visible in the
filtrate solution?
When the alcohol was added, a white, cloudy substance appeared between the alcohol and the strawberry
extract. The DNA was not visible before because it was dissolved in the liquid and spread out too thin to see.
10. What did the DNA look like? How does it relate to its known chemical structure?
The DNA looked white, cloudy, and stringy. This appearance relates to its chemical structure because DNA
is a long, thread-like molecule, and many strands clump together to become visible.
11. You cannot see a single cotton thread four classrooms away, but if you wound thousands of threads
together into a rope it would be visible. How is this statement an analogy to our DNA extraction?
A single DNA molecule is too small to see, just like a single cotton thread. When thousands of DNA
molecules are extracted and clump together, they form a visible mass, similar to many threads twisted into a
rope.
12. Is DNA found in all living or once living cells?
Yes in both
13. Since the strawberries were once living, and we extracted DNA from them, what does this mean about the
foods you eat?
It means that most of the foods we eat that come from plants or animals contain DNA because they were
once living organisms.
14. In order to study our genes, scientists must extract the DNA from human tissue. Would you expect the
method of DNA extraction to be the same as in this lab? Why or why not?
The basic steps would be similar, but the method would not be exactly the same. Scientists use more
precise tools, chemicals, and sterile conditions to extract DNA safely and accurately from human tissue.
15. Would the DNA be the same in any cell in the human body? If you wanted to extract DNA from a living
person, what cells might you use and why?
Yes, the DNA would be the same in almost all cells of the human body. Cells such as cheek cells or blood
cells (white blood cells) could be used because they are easy to collect and contain DNA.
16. Describe two real-world applications for being able to extract DNA from cells.
[Link] extraction is used in forensic science to identify individuals from crime scene evidence.
[Link] extraction is used in medical research and genetic testing to diagnose diseases and study inherited
traits.
***Upload Image of the Test Tube results here:
(2 pictures- one in the test tube- one on the skewer)