Name ___________________________

Date _________ Period 1 2 3 4 5 6

Biology Lab: DNA Extraction from Wheat Germ

Lifes most important molecule

Purpose: To see how we can extract the DNA out of wheat germ cells.

Background: Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a complex molecule found in all living organisms.
DNA is the organic material of which genes are composed. There are two to three basic steps in DNA
extraction. The cell must be lysed (broken open) to release the nucleus. The nucleus then must also be
opened to release the DNA. At this point the DNA must be protected from enzymes that will shear or
degrade it. Once the DNA is released, it must then be precipitated in alcohol. This lab activity creates the
conditions suitable for this all to occur.

Materials: 1.5 g of raw wheat germ

1 ml of Woolite detergent
0.5 g of Adolphs Meat Tenderizer (unseasoned and must contain papain)
10 ml of room temperature rubbing alcohol ( 91% isopropyl alcohol)
15 ml of 50-60o C tap water
25 ml graduated cylinder
glass stirring rod
paper clip bent to form a hook at one end

Procedure:
1. Pour 15 ml of hot tap water into a 25 ml graduated cylinder.
2. Add 1.5 g of raw wheat germ and mix constantly for 3 minutes.
3. Add 1 ml of detergent then mix every 30 seconds for 5 minutes.
4. Add 0.5 g of meat tenderizer and let the mixture sit for 15 minutes, mixing gently a few times.
(Continuous mixing will break the DNA strands)
5. Remove any foam from the top of the solution with a paper towel (you may not have any).
6. Carefully tip the cylinder at an angle. Slowly pour 10 ml of alcohol down the side so that if forms a
layer on top of the water/wheat germ/detergent solution. Do not mix the two layers together.
7. White, stringy DNA will begin to appear at the space where the two layers meet.
8. Use the paper clip hook to collect the DNA. You may collect more DNA by using the hook to lift the
top of the water layer up to the bottom of the alcohol layer.
9. If you want to keep the DNA, air dry it on a paper towel.

How it works

What is wheat germ?: Wheat germ comes from wheat seeds. The germ is the embryo, which is
the part of the seed that can grow into a new wheat plant. When wheat seeds are milled into white flour,
the wheat germ and wheat bran are removed, leaving only starch. Wheat germ contains many nutrients
while wheat bran consists of fiber. Whole wheat flour contains all parts of the wheat seed and is therefore
more nutritious than white flour while also providing important fiber for digestion.
Water temperature: The heat softens the phospholipids (fats) in the membranes that surround the
cell and the nucleus. It also inactivates (denatures) the deoxyribonuclease enzymes (DNAase) which
would cut the DNA into such small fragments that it would not be visible. Denatured enzymes and DNA
unravel, lose their shape, and thus become inactive. Enzymes denature at 60o C and DNA denatures at
80o C.
 Name ___________________________
Date _________ Period 1 2 3 4 5 6
Stirring and detergent?: To get the DNA in the wheat germ, the nuclear membrane must be
ruptured. The detergent and stirring breaks down the phospholipid cell walls, cell membranes, and
nuclear membranes.
Meat tenderizer?: The meat tenderizer has papain, an enzyme that helps clean the protein from the
DNA that can contaminate it. Papaya juice and pineapple juice also contain this enzyme. This is also
why you cant put pineapple in jello; it denatures the protein in the gelatin.
Alcohol: The DNA released from the cell nucleus is dissolved in the water/wheat germ/detergent
solution and cannot be seen. DNA precipitates out of solution in alcohol, where it can be seen. Besides
allowing us to see the DNA, the alcohol separates the DNA from the other cell components, which are left
behind in the water solution.

Data: none.

Questions:
1. What is DNA?
2. What is the role of DNA in genetics and heredity?
3. Draw a typical DNA strand and label its parts.
4. Describe the appearance and characteristics of the extracted DNA.
5. How would wheat germ DNA be similar to DNA extracted from an animal?
6. How would it be different?
7. Why did you need to stir the water/wheat germ mixture for three minutes?
8. Proteins, such as enzymes, will denature at high temperatures. What does this mean?

Conclusion: What did you learn in this experiment? Were there any sources of error?