Name: ___________________ Date Performed:___________________

Section: _________________ Group Name: ______________________

General Biology 1

DNA Extraction from fruits

DNA as a blueprint of life can be extracted from plants and animals sources. In this
activity, you will extract DNA from common fruits, then investigate how it looks like.

Objective: Extract DNA from common fruits

Procedure:
1. Prepare the DNA buffer by mixing the ingredients: dish soap, salt, and tap water.
2. Put one strawberry inside a ziplock bag, removing the air to seal it in. Gently mash the
strawberry with your fingers until it becomes a puree. Do this for about one to two
minutes. Do the same thing to the banana using a different ziplock bag.
3. Make two setups for the banana and strawberry. Add 8 mL of DNA buffer to the
strawberry and banana. Press the air out and seal the bags again.
4. Mash the strawberry and banana for about one minute without creating many
bubbles.
5. Place the test tube inside the cup. Put the funnel inside the mouth of the test tube,
Carefully place the cheesecloth on the outer rim of the funnel.
6. Open the ziplock bag and carefully drain the banana and strawberry extract into the
cheesecloth, filling in one-fourth of the test tube.
7. Tilt the test tube a bit while carefully pouring an equal amount of 90% ice-cold ethanol
(alcohol) about one-fourth 1/4 of the test tube through the funnel, down to the sides of
the tube. This will make it easy to better separate the DNA.
8. Place the test tube at eye level. Use the stirring rod to collect the DNA at the
boundary of alcohol and strawberry or banana juice. Do not stir the strawberry or
banana juice. Stirring can only be done above the alcohol layer.
9. Carefully remove the stirring rod and examine what the DNA looks like.
Data:
Draw the DNA you see in each of your test tubes in the sample test tubes below.

Conclusion

Post-Laboratory Questions:

1. Does DNA have the same structure in different organisms. In this case, in strawberry
and banana fruits? Explain why or why not.
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2. Many of the plants today have been genetically modified by placing a portion of a
gene from one organism to another organism. Would you eat food produced in this
manner? Why or why not?
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