DNA Extraction Lab

          In this lab we asked the question "How can DNA be separated from cheek in order to study it?" We found that DNA can be separated from human cheek cells. The evidence is that we observed clumps of DNA float in the middle of the solution to extract the DNA. This evidence is also present in the lab handout that we were given. It gave the steps to extract the DNA and what happens when the DNA is being extracted. This data supports our claim because after we did the procedure to extract the DNA, we observed clumps of DNA floating in the middle of our solution.
          While our hypothesis was supported by our data, there could have been errors due to not having an easy to understand list of steps for our procedure. All we were given was information about extracting DNA, which did not give any specific steps, and a jumbled list of specific steps. This information could have been messed up while trying to put together the right order of steps and could have gotten invalid data or even no results at all. Another error could have been not measuring the substances correctly. This would lead to variations in data and possibly make our data invalid. It could also make it so that we don't get any results at all. Due to these errors, in future experiments I would recommend that whoever is doing this lab would get a proper list of steps to follow so data doesn't get compromised. Also, I would recommend that people doing this lab measure the substances properly and add them properly so as to not compromise the data.
          This lab was done to show us what DNA looked like in real life and how to separate it from the rest of the cell. From this lab I learned about what specific chemicals do to the structure of the cell to break it down and separate it to extract only the DNA out, which helps me understand the concept of DNA's chemical structure and the rest of the cell's chemical structure. Based on my experience from this lab, the way I would apply this to another situation is that I could use this knowledge to extract other things besides DNA in the cell, and I could also use this skill and knowledge to analyze real DNA extracted from the cell to observe it and possibly determine the genetic code from that strand of DNA. This relates to what I learned in the vodcasts. It taught me the many characteristics and functions of DNA, which led me to do this lab better than if I didn't know what DNA's properties were.