DNA Extraction from Cheek Cells

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DNA is the thread of life. Encoded in its genetic sequence is the information that makes each of us unique. This activity allows you to see the long, stringy strands of your own DNA, extracted from your cheek cells. This is a simplified version of the same technique routinely used by research scientists to isolate DNA. One word of caution, however, saliva is used in this activity, so all tubes, tips and cups should be disinfected either by autoclaving or rinsing in a 10% bleach solution. [Activity is publicly available through a web crawler capture on Archive.org.]

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
10 to 30 minutes
Learning Time:
10 to 30 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$5 - $10 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 8 - adult
Resource Types:
Activity, Experiment/Lab Activity
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • 50 ml tube with cap
  • liquid hand soap in a pump dispenser
  • plastic disposable pipet
  • squeeze bottle
  • glass stirring rod
  • 1.5 ml microfuge tube
  • Dixie cups
  • tap water
  • containers for disposing of cups, tubes, plastic pipets and stirring rods
  • alcohol for precipitating DNA
  • extra microfuge tubes (if samples are to be taken home)

Keywords

Subjects

  • Life Sciences
    • Heredity and Genetics
      • DNA Structure and Function

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • read
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

Access Rights:

  • Limited free access

By:

Rights: