Lab Report: DNA Isolation

Name of the experiment:

Isolating DNA from banana.

Aim:
To observe DNA by isolating it from a cell.

Principles:
1. The solution is made of water, soap, and salt to free the DNA from other components. 2. The soap breaks apart the cellular and nuclear membranes, and it releases the DNA. 3. The salt helps the DNA strands come together. 4. Alcohol is used to precipitate the DNA which is not soluble in alcohol.

Materials:
1. Banana 2. Knife 3. Mortar and Pestle 4. Trix (Detergent) 5. Ice-cold Isopropanol 6. Cheesecloth (two layers) 7. Test-tube 8. Beaker 9. Funnel 10. A spoon 11. One thin glass rod

Methods:
1. Take a banana and cut into pieces. 2. Place some of the pieces into mortar and add some water to grind and mix well. 3. Detergent solution: Add 10 ml Trix (detergent) to 20 ml of water. Mix with a spoon. Try to avoid creating bubbles. 4. Add 20 ml of banana mixture to the prepared detergent solution. Mix well 5. Filter the final mixture by using cheesecloth into a test tube.
6. 7.

Take 20-25 ml of ice-cold Isopropanol into a test tube. Carefully pour 10-15 ml of banana filtrate down the inside of the slanted test tube. The tube is slanted here to reduce mixing of the alcohol and banana mixture.

8. Leave the test tube for 3-5 minutes without jarring it. The banana DNA will begin to rise and precipitate out of solution. The DNA will be a cloudy white color and is extremely fragile.

Discussion:
From this experiment, we have come to know the structure of DNA and how to isolate it from a banana cell.

Result: The banana was crushed and the detergent solution was made to release DNA from other components of the cell. The soap breaks the cellular and nuclear membranes and releases DNA. The salt helps the DNA strands come together. After that we observed the floating DNA in the test-tube.

The DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) isolation is very important for genetic engineering, DNA fingerprinting and for determining the genetic disorders. For instant, genetic engineering is important for cloning and determining genetic disorders such as color blindness, bleeding disorders and bone diseases. DNA fingerprinting is needed for identify dead bodies or to catch the criminals. DNA is in the cells of every living organism. For that, to isolate DNA we could use all living cells. However, the procedure could be different. We could use this experiment to isolate DNA from any fruits and vegetables.

Reference:
1. Internet 2. Class power point slides 3. Books.