Genetic Jewelry

Intro/Procedure:
DNA, short for deoxyribonucleic acid, is in all living things. It carries genetic information responsible for features such as skin, eye color, height, blood type, exc. Every one of our cells carries these instructions. The DNA is found in the nucleus of all cells except red blood cells.The shape of DNA is a double helix with bases on the inside and phosphates on the outside. The bases (adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine) are paired together. Adenine always pairs with thymine and guanine always pairs with cytosine. Everyone's DNA is 99.9% the same and it's that .1% that makes the difference and unique qualities of individuals. A section of the DNA, genes, carry the information to make proteins.  DNA can be used for testing for traits, cloning, crime scene investigations, and more. Our lab is an attempt to precipitate or extract our own DNA and then put it into a necklace. To extract the DNA we first must get some of our cells. After loosening cheek cells and putting them in saline solution which keeps the cells "happy", we use a lysis buffer to break open the membrane (phospholipids). We then use protease (an enzyme that breaks down proteins) to kill possible threats to the DNA (DNAse and Histone). After hot water is used to speed up this process cold ethonal precipitates the DNA.

Results/Observations:
We were successfully able to extract DNA from our cells and put it into a necklace. When doing the lab little could be seen inside the tube until the ethonal was added. Once the ethonal was added and we swished the tube around the DNA strands became visible.

Discussion:
There is not much to analyze other than the DNA was precipitated due to protease successfully killing anything that may have harmed the protein and then the ethonal worked and the DNA became present. Although the lab worked, things such as using wrong amounts of protease or ethonal could have ruined the results. Overall this was a fun, successful,and not too difficult lab.