DNA Extraction Warm Up 2

Strawberries are octoploid, meaning they have eight sets of chromosomes. This indicates that the cells of strawberries contain eight complete copies of their genetic material.

Salt is added to the 200 mL of gargle water.

Food coloring is not added to detergent and saline solution in the DNA extraction experiment of human cheek cells. The purpose of adding detergent is to break down the cell membrane and release the DNA, while saline solution is used to create an isotonic environment for the cells. Food coloring is not necessary for this experiment and is not typically used. Therefore, the answer is false.

If you performed the experiment on bananas and onions instead of wheat germ, it is unlikely that you would produce no DNA molecules. This is because all living organisms, including bananas and onions, contain DNA. While the DNA extraction process may vary slightly depending on the source, it is still possible to extract DNA from these organisms. Therefore, the statement is false.

Alcohol is used to precipitate the DNA. Because DNA is soluble in water, alcohol causes the DNA to precipitate and come out of the solution. DNA will rise into the alcohol layer.

Toasting the wheat germ in the microwave oven in the Extract and Observe DNA experiment would not result in producing more volume of DNA. The volume of DNA obtained in this experiment is determined by the extraction process and not by toasting the wheat germ. Toasting the wheat germ might affect the quality or integrity of the DNA, but it would not increase the volume of DNA obtained. Therefore, the statement is false.

Individuals with trisomy 16, a condition where there is an extra copy of chromosome 16, do not typically live a normal and healthy life. Trisomy 16 is associated with various developmental and health issues, such as intellectual disability, growth delays, heart defects, and other abnormalities. It is often incompatible with life, and many affected individuals do not survive past infancy. Therefore, the statement that individuals with trisomy 16 may live a normal and healthy life is false.

Before undergoing the centrifuge, human epithelial cells do not have any specific color. They are transparent or clear in appearance. The centrifuge is a process used to separate different components of a mixture based on their density, not their color. Therefore, the color of the cells before the centrifuge is not relevant to the process.

The NOVA video presentation displayed DNA in the form of both clumps and strings. This suggests that the DNA was shown in its natural state, where it can exist as both tightly packed clumps and elongated strings. The combination of clumps and strings allows for a better understanding of the structure and organization of DNA.

After step 7 of the wheat/human DNA extraction experiment, preparing a microscope slide of the DNA strains would not allow you to observe the actual DNA molecule at 400X. This is because the DNA molecules are extremely small and cannot be directly seen under a light microscope at that magnification. To observe the actual DNA molecule, a more powerful microscope such as an electron microscope would be required. Therefore, the statement is false.

Detergent is used during the Extract and Observe DNA experiment to break down the cell wall of the wheat germ. Detergents are capable of breaking down lipids and proteins, which are components of the cell wall. This allows for the release of DNA from the cells, making it accessible for further experimentation and observation.

When you gargle the saline solution to extract the human epithelial cells from your cheeks, you create a hypertonic solution. This is because the saline solution has a higher concentration of solutes compared to the inside of the cheek cells. As a result, water molecules will move out of the cells through osmosis, causing the cells to shrink and detach from the cheeks.

The strands of DNA within the pink solution of strawberry juice are white. This is because DNA is a colorless molecule and cannot be seen with the naked eye. The pink color of the solution is due to other pigments present in the strawberry juice, such as anthocyanins.

The cell membrane is composed of a phospholipid bilayer, which consists of two layers of phospholipids. Phospholipids have a hydrophilic (water-loving) head and a hydrophobic (water-repelling) tail. The hydrophobic tails of the phospholipids are made up of fats, while the hydrophilic heads are made up of proteins. The detergent and salt solution is used to break down the fats and proteins in the cell membrane, allowing for the breakdown of the membrane itself.

Cold alcohol was used during the Extract and Observe DNA experiment to cause the DNA of the human epithelial and wheat germ DNA to condense.

The plant sample likely produced a high yield of DNA because plants typically have larger cells and more DNA compared to other organisms such as animals, humans, bacteria, and fungi. Additionally, plants often have higher amounts of secondary metabolites and protective compounds that can inhibit DNA extraction, so if a high yield was obtained from the plant sample, it suggests that the extraction method used was effective in breaking down these compounds and releasing the DNA.