DNA from Strawberry Cells

DNA from Strawberry Cells

Conclusion

Looking at the results from the unripe, ripe, and overripe strawberries, the results of the investigation can be summarized as follows. With the unripe strawberries, the amount of extractable DNA was lower with respect to the ripe strawberries, as was the case with the overripe strawberries.

This shows that the amount of extractable DNA can indeed be used as an indicatior of how ripe a strawberry is and, by extention, what its current nutritional value is.

Conclusion

The amount of DNA formed a bell curve, with the most DNA extracted coming from when the strawberry was at its ripest.

Research Method

(Procedure) (ctd.)

I used common household items as reagents in order to purify and separate the DNA so it would be visible to the naked eye and easier to measure. The extraction solution involved salt, detergent, and rubbing alcohol, which all served to lyse (prise open) the cell membrane and nucleus to isolate the DNA for an accurate measurement.

Research Process

(Procedure)

Evidence

The manipulated variable in this experiment is the stage of life, or the ripeness, of the strawberry. I identified the unripe strawberries by their firm, green bodies. This is because the strawberry did not fully mature yet, and the enzymes which catalyze the reactions needed to redden and ripen the strawberry were not yet activated by teh appropriate substrate. The ripened strawberries I identified by their softer texture and bright red color, and the overripe strawberries I identified by their bruised, spongy exterior on top of their maroon color and pungent smell. The responding variable in this experiment is the amount of DNA each stage contains, and I judged this by pouring the extraction liquid into a graduated cylinder and measuring how many milliliters of DNA each stage yielded.

***This does NOT mean that the actual amount of DNA in a fruit changes over time! This experiment is concerned with the amount of extractable DNA, not the total amount of DNA.

The data clearly shows that the ripe strawberries have the highest amount of extractable DNA. Therefore, the amount of DNA can be used as an indicator of ripeness in strawberries.

Research Question

More Background

This does not mean that the riper the strawberry is, the more DNA it has.

I used common household items as reagents in order to purify and separate the DNA so it will be visible to the naked eye and easier to measure. The extraction solution involves salt, detergent, and rubbing alcohol, which all serve to lyse the cell membrane and nucleus to isolate the DNA for an accurate measurement.

When the fruit is at an under ripe stage, less DNA is extractable because the cells are not fully developed and it is not as easy to extract the DNA

Similarly, as it begins the process of over-ripening, its cells, which contain and bind the fruit's nutrients, begin to break down and decompose.

How does how old a strawberry is (underripe, ripe, overripe), affect the amount of DNA (in mL) that can be extracted from it?

WHY DOES THIS MATTER?

The data found in this experiment can be used to calculate the expiration dates of fruits. This can in turn be used to advise consumers about buying unripe fruits that might have an adverse effect on health.

Background

Everyone thinks fruits are healthy, because they are loaded with nutrients, but a litlte-known fact is that a fruit loses nutritional value throughout its life.

In this experiment, I used a strawberry and the amount of extractable DNA it yielded at underripe, ripe, and overripe stages as an indicator for its nutritional value.