HAJRAH ALI – 40157986
UXBRIDGE COLLEGE
UNIT 11: GENETICS AND GENETIC ENGINEERING
LEARNING AIM D: EXPLORE BASIC DNA TECHNIQUES AND THE USE OF GENETIC ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIES.
BASIC DNA TECHNIQUES AND GENETIC ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY
VOCATIONAL SCENARIO
As a trainee lab technician working for a medical research company, you must be able to extract, amplify and separate
samples of DNA. Your company offers work placements for sixth form students. You have been asked to help work
placement students understand how to carry out practical’s to extract, amplify and separate DNA, and understand
how and why these technologies are used in different industries, and the potential use for them in the future, by
producing a laboratory book and illustrative report.
, D.P6 EXTRACT, SEPARATE AND AMPLIFY DNA.
DNA EXTRACTION
DNA extraction is a process of purifying DNA from sample using a combination of physical and chemical methods. DNA is
extracted to see if a disease is present or if it can be passed on or to see for any defects. (Quizlet Inc., 2018) [1]
DNA lives in the nucleus of the cell which needs to reach to extract and is about 2 meters long in a form of
chromosomes.
The first step of DNA extraction requires the purification of DNA, so it is purified from proteins and other cellular debris
e.g., organelles, digestive enzymes etc. This is the longest step to carry out due to its purification and must be carried
out under sterile laboratory conditions. it is important to work under sterile conditions so that any chances of
contamination is eliminated.
This experiment requires me to isolate some DNA from a human test subject, DNA can be isolated for many reasons.
Three reasons why scientist could isolate DNA could because of:
GENETIC TESTING
BODY IDENTIFICATION
ANALYSIS OF FORENSIC EVIDENCE.
During the process of DNA extraction, DNA needs to be purified away from proteins and other cellular contaminants. To
do this the cell needs to be isolated so that the DNA can be extracted, because it is in the nucleus of a cell.
EQUIPMENT
Warm water bath Concentrated salt solution
Centrifuge Resuspensi
Micropipette X2 on buffer
Buccal swab Ethanol
Sample tubes Isopropyl
Lysis solution alcohol
METHOD
I. Collect cells from the subject: The skin inside of the mouth
loses thousands of cells every day, we will collect these "cheek
cells" from a cheek swab and will continue carrying out the process. once the subject has been swabbed, the
II. swab will be placed into an Eppendorf tube. The inside of the mouth sheds skin daily where extracting cell is the
easiest to obtain without having the need to cut the body. Using the micro pipettor, lysis solution is added to the
tube. "lysis" means to separate.
III. Burst cells open to release DNA: The tube will be placed into a warm water bath, during its time in the water bath
the lysis solution contains two ingredients detergent and enzyme called proteinase K. The Detergent will disrupt the
cells membrane and nuclear envelope, which causes the cells to burst open and release their DNA. proteinase K will
cut apart the histones to free DNA as DNA is still wrapped very tightly around the histones at this stage.
IV. Separate DNA From proteins and debris: The tube is removed from the warm water bath as the cells have stayed
warm for long enough for the DNA to be freed from the cells. The swab is removed from the tube and concentrated
salt solution is added. The salt causes proteins and other cellular debris to clump together.
V. Isolate concentrated DNA: The tube is then placed into a centrifuge. To balance the tube a tube containing water is
placed opposite. The centrifuge spins at high speed, this causes the heavy clumps of proteins and cellular debris to
sink to the bottom of the tube, while the strand of DNA remains distributed through the liquid. using a micropipette,
the DNA liquid is removed out of the tube into a clean tube, which leaves the proteins and other cellular debris
behind in the tube. Isopropyl alcohol solution is added to the DNA solution in the tube and is shaken by inverting the
tube several times, causing the solutions to mix; because DNA is not soluble in isopropyl alcohol solution it will
comes out of the solution and will be visible to the naked eye. The tube is placed back into the centrifuge to spin so
that the DNA can be sunk to the bottom of the tube. The liquid is then removed using a micropipette to allow the
DNA to dry so it can be re-dissolved into a solution of any choice.
It can be stored in a freezer for many years or can be used in the next part of an experiment.
GEL ELECTROPHORESIS
Is a technique used by scientists to sort out DNA strands according to its length. It uses a "gel" as a filter that sorts the
DNA strands out. The gel is like a sponge made of Jell-O, with many small holes in it. DNA samples are placed into holes
UXBRIDGE COLLEGE
UNIT 11: GENETICS AND GENETIC ENGINEERING
LEARNING AIM D: EXPLORE BASIC DNA TECHNIQUES AND THE USE OF GENETIC ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIES.
BASIC DNA TECHNIQUES AND GENETIC ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY
VOCATIONAL SCENARIO
As a trainee lab technician working for a medical research company, you must be able to extract, amplify and separate
samples of DNA. Your company offers work placements for sixth form students. You have been asked to help work
placement students understand how to carry out practical’s to extract, amplify and separate DNA, and understand
how and why these technologies are used in different industries, and the potential use for them in the future, by
producing a laboratory book and illustrative report.
, D.P6 EXTRACT, SEPARATE AND AMPLIFY DNA.
DNA EXTRACTION
DNA extraction is a process of purifying DNA from sample using a combination of physical and chemical methods. DNA is
extracted to see if a disease is present or if it can be passed on or to see for any defects. (Quizlet Inc., 2018) [1]
DNA lives in the nucleus of the cell which needs to reach to extract and is about 2 meters long in a form of
chromosomes.
The first step of DNA extraction requires the purification of DNA, so it is purified from proteins and other cellular debris
e.g., organelles, digestive enzymes etc. This is the longest step to carry out due to its purification and must be carried
out under sterile laboratory conditions. it is important to work under sterile conditions so that any chances of
contamination is eliminated.
This experiment requires me to isolate some DNA from a human test subject, DNA can be isolated for many reasons.
Three reasons why scientist could isolate DNA could because of:
GENETIC TESTING
BODY IDENTIFICATION
ANALYSIS OF FORENSIC EVIDENCE.
During the process of DNA extraction, DNA needs to be purified away from proteins and other cellular contaminants. To
do this the cell needs to be isolated so that the DNA can be extracted, because it is in the nucleus of a cell.
EQUIPMENT
Warm water bath Concentrated salt solution
Centrifuge Resuspensi
Micropipette X2 on buffer
Buccal swab Ethanol
Sample tubes Isopropyl
Lysis solution alcohol
METHOD
I. Collect cells from the subject: The skin inside of the mouth
loses thousands of cells every day, we will collect these "cheek
cells" from a cheek swab and will continue carrying out the process. once the subject has been swabbed, the
II. swab will be placed into an Eppendorf tube. The inside of the mouth sheds skin daily where extracting cell is the
easiest to obtain without having the need to cut the body. Using the micro pipettor, lysis solution is added to the
tube. "lysis" means to separate.
III. Burst cells open to release DNA: The tube will be placed into a warm water bath, during its time in the water bath
the lysis solution contains two ingredients detergent and enzyme called proteinase K. The Detergent will disrupt the
cells membrane and nuclear envelope, which causes the cells to burst open and release their DNA. proteinase K will
cut apart the histones to free DNA as DNA is still wrapped very tightly around the histones at this stage.
IV. Separate DNA From proteins and debris: The tube is removed from the warm water bath as the cells have stayed
warm for long enough for the DNA to be freed from the cells. The swab is removed from the tube and concentrated
salt solution is added. The salt causes proteins and other cellular debris to clump together.
V. Isolate concentrated DNA: The tube is then placed into a centrifuge. To balance the tube a tube containing water is
placed opposite. The centrifuge spins at high speed, this causes the heavy clumps of proteins and cellular debris to
sink to the bottom of the tube, while the strand of DNA remains distributed through the liquid. using a micropipette,
the DNA liquid is removed out of the tube into a clean tube, which leaves the proteins and other cellular debris
behind in the tube. Isopropyl alcohol solution is added to the DNA solution in the tube and is shaken by inverting the
tube several times, causing the solutions to mix; because DNA is not soluble in isopropyl alcohol solution it will
comes out of the solution and will be visible to the naked eye. The tube is placed back into the centrifuge to spin so
that the DNA can be sunk to the bottom of the tube. The liquid is then removed using a micropipette to allow the
DNA to dry so it can be re-dissolved into a solution of any choice.
It can be stored in a freezer for many years or can be used in the next part of an experiment.
GEL ELECTROPHORESIS
Is a technique used by scientists to sort out DNA strands according to its length. It uses a "gel" as a filter that sorts the
DNA strands out. The gel is like a sponge made of Jell-O, with many small holes in it. DNA samples are placed into holes
