Human DNA Extraction Lab

The question of this lab was "How can DNA be separated from cheek cells in order to study it?" I found that DNA can be separated from cheek cells, in order to study it, by scraping cheek cells and than mixing the saliva, that contains the cheek cells, with Gatorade, salt, detergent, pineapple juice, and alcohol. Specific evidence that supports my claim is how when the saliva, containing the cheek cells, the gatorade, the salt, the detergent, and the pineapple juice were mixed and topped off separately with the alcohol, there were strand like material, the color of the gatorade, that had risen up to the surface of the alcohol. The strand like material was my DNA. This evidence supports my claim because: in order for DNA to be separated from cheek cells, the cell walls/membranes, plasma membranes, and the nuclear material must first be broken down. This is done by homogenizing the cell tissue with polar liquid. The sodium chloride (salt) was then added to the solution to facilitate the precipitation by shielding the negative phosphate ends of the DNA. Next, in order to lyse the cell membrane and to emulsify the lipids and proteins of the cell, soap was added. Pineapple juice, which contained catabolic proteases, was then added to further break down any histones, type of protein, that the DNA molecule had wrap itself around. When the 95% isopropanol alcohol is layered separately on top of the mixture, the DNA falls out of the solution as a precipitate right at the interface of the two solutions since the alcohol is nonpolar, and the DNA is polar. One error that could've occurred in this experiment is that the procedure that my group and I chose to follow was not the correct procedure. This error could've effected our results by making our DNA not as apparent as it should've been or not apparent at all. Another error that could've occurred in this experiment are students not swishing the Gatorade in their mouth long enough for it to get the cheek cells needed in order to get the DNA. This error could've effected our results by also not making the DNA as apparent as it should be or not apparent at all. Two recommendations that would improve the experimental procedure so that these and other possible errors could be minimized/removed is to really use the information given in the lab as an advantage and to follow directions precisely, especially if it involves time. The purpose of this lab was to see how DNA can be extracted with different solutions, to understand the three basic steps of homogenization, lysis, and precipitation, to see its' appearance. In class, I learned about DNA and its' structure (double helix:2 strands twisted around each other) and this lab helped give me a visual example by its' result being the extraction of my DNA.This lab experiment could be applied to other situations by the chance that if someone ever needs help on extracting their DNA for any certain reason, I would know how to do it and would be able to help them.