How to Extract Your Own DNA at Home

In this do-it-yourself science experiment, my 6 year old daughter, Samatha, demonstrates
how to extract one's own DNA at home using just few common household items.

Little bit about DNA:

Cells are considered as the building blocks of all living things. The human body is composed of around 37 trillion cells. Each cell has nucleus and other major parts like cytoplasm, mitochondria, plasma membrane etc.

In a nucleus, the DNA molecule is packaged into thread-like structures called chromosomes. Each chromosome is made up of DNA .

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the hereditary material in almost all living organisms. DNA contains the instructions needed for an organism to develop, survive and reproduce. Most DNA is located in the nucleus.

More about DNA, please see this link: http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook/basics/cell

1. 500 ml water

2. 91% Isopropyl Alcohol (rubbing alcohol)

3. Dishwashing liquid

3. Salt

4. Food coloring (dark colors recommended)

5. 3 clear plastic cups

1. Pour 500ml water in a plastic cup

2. Add one tablespoon of salt to the water

3. Stir until the salt is dissolved completely

1. Transfer 2 tablespoons of salt water in a clear plastic cup

2. Vigorously gargle salt water for a minute

3. Spit salt water back into the same cup

When you gargle the salt water, it will collect some of your cheek cells. Now your cheek cells are in the cup.

Now slowly add 1ml of clear dishwashing soap to the salt water you just spit out

The dishwashing soap will break open cheek cells and their nuclei walls

and this causes the DNA to be released into the salt water.

1. Pour 100 ml isopropyl alchol in a separate clear plastic cup

2. Add 3 drops of food coloring, mix them well

1. Tilt the salt water cup and carefully pour alcohol such a way that it makes a layer on top of the salt water.

2. Wait for 4 minutes

The DNA is insoluble in isopropyl alcohol and it promotes the clustering of the DNA, making them visible.

After the procedure is done, we can see filaments of DNA on the top layer of the solution and after some time we can see white clusters of DNA at the bottom of the cup.