Group 04

Urban, Kenneth Ralph Tanggana, Osmelyn

Tito, Carla Trinidad, Silph Syris C.
Tolentino, Jamie Ann Nicole Tulinao, Reygelyn
Tulinao, Reynalyn Valencia, Lara

Date Performed: July 03, 2019

Score:

Laboratory Activity Number 10

DNA ISOLATION from Human Cheek Cells
I. Introduction

Cells are regularly sloughed off from the human body. Body cells contain a nucleus that
carries the genetic material in the form of DNA. DNA can be collected from sloughed off skin
cells, bodily secretions such as saliva (that contains cheek cells), blood stains, semen, etc. In a
crime laboratory, DNA extracted from these sources can be analyzed and used to trace a specific
individual. This is possible because each individual has a unique sequence of DNA bases. This
unique sequence of DNA found in a particular individual is called the DNA fingerprint. This is
comparable to the thumb print of an individual.

II. Objective: Isolate DNA strands from human cheek cells.

III. Materials
Salt solution (dissolve 8 grams of salt in 92 mL of bottled distilled water)
Liquid dishwashing detergent solution (mix 25 mL of liquid detergent to 75
mL bottled distilled water)

1 50 ml beaker
2 250 mL beaker ethyl alcohol (95% denatured)
Test tube and Test tube rack 3 droppers
Bottled distilled water glass stirring rod

IV. Procedure
1. Pour 10 ml of bottled or distilled water in a clean beaker.
2. Before performing this step, do not brush your teeth or gargle water so as not to interfere
with the procedure.
Put the 10ml of water into your mouth and swirl the water around for at least 2 minutes. A
longer period of time and more violent swirling will cause more cells to be sloughed off.
Spit the water back into the beaker.
 3. In a test tube, add 1ml ( approximately 20 drops ) of salt solution
4. In the same test tube (in number 3), add around 5 ml of the spitted water.
5. Add 1 ml (20 drops) of liquid dishwashing detergent solution. Detergents will break down
the lipids and proteins found in the cell membrane thereby disrupting the cells and releasing
the DNA into the salt solution.
(note: the action of the detergent can be enhancing by placing the test tube in water at 55
°C. this will also denature the enzymes that might damage DNA).
6. Cover the test tube with a stopper and mix the contents of the tube gently by inverting the
test tube five times. Do not shake the test tube.
7. Holding the test tube in a slight angle ( around 45 degrees ), slowly add 5 ml of ethyl
alcohol down the side of the test tube so that it forms a layer over the cell lysate mixture (
mixture of disrupted cheek cells. )
(note: ice cold ethyl alcohol might be more effective to precipitate DNA)
8. Gently hold the test tube upright and observe what happens at the interface between the
ethyl alcohol and the cell lysate mixture. Observe the clouds of white strands at the
interface. Those are DNA strands. DNA is insoluble in ethyl alcohol so it precipitates
where the two liquids meet. Soap bubbles will get trapped in the DNA strands
9. Collect the DNA strands by placing a clean glass stirring rod in the test tube and turning it
in one direction (spooling). The DNA strands will wind around the glass stirring rod.
10. Carefully lift the rod the DNA and transfer it into a new test tube containing 1ml (20 drops)
of ethyl alcohol. Observe the DNA strands floating in the ethyl alcohol.

IV. Results/Discussion

Jamie (DNA) Kenneth (DNA)

 1. Observe the strands of DNA you have isolated.

Based on the strands of DNA that we isolated, we observed that we have different outcomes
of DNA structure like in sizes, structures, and many more because every individual have different
genes that can affect the DNA of a person.

2. Compare the DNA strands you isolated with your groupmates. Describe the possible
factors that influenced the differences in the observed DNA strands.

The DNA strands that we isolated, are different to each other, there are like jelly fish strand,
small particles strand, long strand, small strand, and many more. The possible factors that
influenced the differences in the observed DNA strands are cause of environmental factors and we
have different genes that inherited in our family, that’s why our DNA are different to each other.
3. Give a possible scenario on how DNA isolation and analysis can be used.

The possible scenario that we can give was the man in the T.V. (in Jessica Soho) who are finding
his mother. The boy was adopted by an Australian couple because they found out that boy was lost, after
many years past, the boy was go back in the Philippines to find his true mother. He wants to know more
about his true identity, when he was a young child. Through the help of Jessica Soho team they find her
mother but to be sure, they will go to DNA test, to be sure that their DNA is the same and the result of this
test may take a longer of time, the DNA was test by picking up saliva in the mouth of both person and many
more. After many days past the result of their DNA test was almost the same. This is example of how DNA
isolation and analysis can be used and it is very important to us to know our DNA structure and to test how
we are related to each and every one.