PRACTICAL ACTIVITY

EXPERIMENT TITLE: DNA Extraction from Bananas

Initiating and Planning
The aim of the experiment is to extract DNA from banana. Like all living things,
bananas pass on information from one generation to the next using the same basic
material, DNA. Within every living organism, most cells contain a complete set of
DNA instructions. The information in DNA tells our bodies how to develop, grow,
and work. It also controls many of the features that make an organism unique.
Because DNA is in every cell, there is a lot of it in an organism. If you took all of the
DNA out of some middle-sized organism (or part of an organism, like a piece of
fruit), you could see and even touch DNA.
Tools and materials for the experiment are table salt, piece of ripe banana, coffee
filter, liquid dish detergent, rubbing alcohol, a sealable plastic bag, a knife and
distilled water.
Exploring and Recording
1. The banana was placed into the resealable bag and mashed thoroughly.
2. One end of the bag was carefully cut and the mashed banana was squeezed
into plastic cups. Water of equal amounts was added and stirred thoroughly.
3. About 5 ml of liquid dish detergent was put into another plastic cup, followed
by 1.25 ml table salt and 30 ml of water. The mixture was stirred gently.
4. 30 ml of the banana mixture was added into the cup with the soap/salt
solution and the mixture stirred for 10 minutes.
5. The mixture was filtered into another cup using a coffee filter. Rubbing
alcohol was slowly added to the filtrate in a slanting position. The mixture
was allowed to sit undisturbed for 5 minutes. The alcohol is less dense than
the filtrate and thus floated on top of the filtrate.
6. Eventually, a white material (DNA) became visible in the solution (precipitate)
and was pooled out with a stirrer.
Analyzing and interpreting
Mashing the banana helped to break cells apart and help break apart cell walls. The
liquid dish detergent was used to break the cell and nuclear membranes apart,
thereby releasing the DNA. The salt solution was used to dissolve the proteins,
thereby pulling the DNA together in clumps visible to the eyes. The rubbing alcohol
was used to precipitate the DNA since they are insoluble in alcohol.
Communication and Teamwork
The challenges encountered during the practical were discussed among ourselves
and together, we figured out the best ways to overcome them. Protective clothing
such as goggles, gloves, and lab coats were worn by students.