Lab 5 - DNA Extraction

From Cells Lab

DNA stands for
deoxyribonucleic
acid
The shape of a DNA
molecule is a double
helix.
The scientists James
Watson and Francis
Crick are credited
with determining the
structure in 1953.

The Shape of DNA: double
helix
Parts of a DNA molecule
Sugar and phosphate
these make up the backbone of the moleculethe
sides of the ladder
Nitrogenous bases (A, C, G, or T)
these are the steps of the ladder
The order (aka sequence) of nitrogenous bases
determines each of your genes
DNA Double Helix
Adenine (A)
Cytosine (C)
Guanine (G)
Thymine (T)
Each organism has a different assemblage of DNA
sequences this variation is responsible for the
differences between all organisms!
DNA is in the nucleus of (almost) all
the cells in your body
Bacteria no nucleus
DNA still has to fit inside cell!
A typical E. coli bacterium is 3 microns
long, but its DNA is more than 300 times
longer. So, the DNA is tightly coiled and
twisted to fit inside.
CHROMOSOME
Human Karyotype - Diploid
Why should I care about DNA?
Every living thing has DNA
The same four bases make up all living things
DNA can help us investigate our ancestors,
and understand what may happen to us in the
future
Our DNA makes us who we are, its like a
recipe for making every living thing
Lab Today
DNA molecules are long, slender molecules that carry the
heritable information of organisms on to future generations.
Because of its microscopic size, it is impossible to see a DNA
molecule with the naked eye. It would take about 300,000
DNA molecules side by side to make a bundle as thick as a
human hair.
When subjected to certain conditions, it is possible to collect
large amounts of DNA to make it visible.
Why do we purify DNA?
The purification of chromosomal DNA is
frequently the first step in molecular-
cloning experiments.
DNA is insoluble in alcohol and so it
precipitates out of solution. This helps
remove small molecules, such as salts,
sugars, and amino acids, from nucleic
acid precipitations because they remain
in the solution.
Most animals are diploid (two copies of the
genome), but some plants can have more than
two copies
Strawberry plants are octaploid, that is, each cell
contains 8 sets of chromosomes.