Biochem-Group 1: BSRT-1B

Ian Gumabay Arianne Pasicolan Nathalie Ballad

Dana Tomas Althea Gamiz

I. PRE-LABORATORY QUESTIONS

1. Do all living things have DNA? Explain your answer.

— Yes, all living things have DNA. Deoxyribonucleic acid is a molecule that
carries genetic information and is important for the growth, development, functioning, and
reproduction of all living organisms. DNA is the hereditary material that is passed down from
one generation to another and contains the blueprint for building and maintaining an
organism. While most organisms have DNA as their genetic material, there are some
exceptions such as certain viruses that use RNA instead of DNA. However, for the vast
majority of living things, DNA is a fundamental component of their genetic makeup. In
summary, DNA is a universal feature of life and is present in all living organisms, playing a
crucial role in determining an organism's characteristics and traits.

2. Using the figure, what are the three components of a nucleotide?

— Nucleotides consist of 3 parts. The first is a distinct nitrogenous base,
which is adenine, cytosine, guanine or thymine. In RNA, uracil replaces thymine. These
nitrogenous bases are either purines or pyrimidines. The second part of a nucleotide is the
phosphate, which differentiates the nucleotide molecule from a nucleoside molecule. Lastly,
the third part of a nucleotide is the pentose (5 carbon) sugar. The pentose sugars found in
nucleotides are aldopentoses: ribose in RNA and deoxyribose in DNA.

3. In complex multicellular animals and plant cells, where is DNA found?

— In complex multicellular animals and plant cells, DNA is found within the
nucleus of the cell. The nucleus is a membrane-bound organelle that houses the genetic
material of the cell, which is the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). DNA contains the
instructions for the cell's growth, development, and function.

II. MODEL 1 QUESTIONS

1. What does the salt do?

— When DNA is dissolved in water, it carries a negative charge due to the
phosphate groups in its backbone. This charge causes DNA molecules to repel each other,
preventing their aggregation and precipitation. However, the addition of salt (such as sodium
chloride, NaCl) to the solution can neutralize these negative charges on the DNA molecules.
This neutralization reduces the electrostatic repulsion between DNA molecules, allowing
them to come closer together. As a result, the DNA molecules can aggregate into larger
complexes. Once the DNA molecules have formed aggregates due to the presence of salt,
they become insoluble in water and can be precipitated out of solution.
 2. Why do we use liquid soap solution?
— Liquid soap (typically sodium dodecyl sulphate or SDS) is used to lyse
cells and disrupt cell membranes. This is crucial in isolating DNA from the saliva. The liquid
soap solution solubilizes cell membranes by disrupting hydrophobic interactions between
lipids, effectively breaking down the cell and nuclear membranes. Additionally, the soap
solution helps to denature proteins by binding to them and disrupting their native structure.
This is important because DNA precipitation usually involves the removal of proteins, which
can interfere with subsequent steps in DNA isolation or analysis.

III. DATA SHEET

● Gumabay, Ian: (Saliva)

1 Min: The salt particles simply nestled at the bottom of the solution, which may
indicate that there currently are little to no changes occurring within the solution.
30 Mins: Most of the salt particles have already been dissolved. White residues can
be seen all over the solution. Also, it seemed like the solution was separating into two: the
upper half looking less viscous, while the lower half looking more viscous/more
concentrated.
2 Hrs: All the salt particles had already dissolved and the solution looks to have
separated completely into two, the upper half looks more transparent, while the lower half
looks more translucent. A translucent film seemed to have formed in the solution too, and
seems to be our DNA material.

● Nathalie Ballad: (Onion)

1 Min: The bottom of the solution now contains the salt particles. There is still a
presence of bubbles as the top and bottom layers form.
30 Mins: The hue is shifting from dark to light. The two layers are clearly visible, and
a separation between them has formed. The bubbles in the solution decreases as time goes by.
2 Hrs: The DNA materials can be seen as the white particles in the solution. The
layers
and its colour becomes increasingly clear and noticeable. There was no presence of bubbles.

● Arianne Ruiz: (Papaya)

1 Min: After 1 minute the solution produces bubbles due to the presence of the liquid
soap solution. This suggests that there are no significant changes that are happening in the
solution.
30 Mins: After 30 minutes the presence of the bubbles disappeared and the solution
became clear. In contrast to the first observation a white small particle at the bottom of the
cup started to form which consists of the DNA material.
2 Hrs: After 2 hrs the white particles had completely formed above the solution. This
white particle is now the DNA material.
 ● Althea Gamiz: (Banana)
1 Min: After leaving it for 1 minute, it appears that there are no significant changes
happening to the solution and bubbles are still visible.
30 Mins: After the 30 mins, white films are slightly visible in the solution.
2 Hrs: After 2hrs, a formed white film floats in the solution which contains the DNA
materials of the banana.

● Dana Tomas: (Tomato)

1 Min: The mixture appears cloudy, indicating that there are no visible changes to the
solution yet. The addition of various substances, such as salt, liquid soap, and pineapple juice,
initiates the DNA extraction process, but the solution is still in the early stages of separation
and precipitation. The salt, liquid soap, and pineapple juice work together to break down cell
membranes and release DNA, which is then visible as a cloudy mixture.
30 Mins: The solution starts to appear clearer as more cellular debris settles out of
suspension. The DNA extraction process continues, and the various substances in the mixture
have had enough time to break down cell membranes and release DNA. The DNA begins to
clump together, forming a visible precipitate, while the cellular debris settles to the bottom of
the container, causing the solution to become clearer.
2 Hrs: A distinct layer has formed at the bottom of the container, revealing that the
DNA precipitate has settled further and appears clearer as cellular debris settles out. The
DNA extraction process is complete, and the DNA is visible as a distinct, translucent layer at
the bottom of the container. The remaining solution is clear, and the DNA can be easily
separated from the other substances in the mixture.