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Science experiments are funny and entertaining for childreen and not only. Even adults, which have chemistry or life sciences as a passion like to do from time to time an experiment, to have fun and enlarge their knowledge about something specific. Some people have a special room for these experiments, a minilab, and they even wear Dexter model glasses when they make experiments.

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Science is indeed complicated, but this is what makes it exciting, next to the challenges it offers us. For many people is very cool to see at a much smaller scale how are the things around them created, like: soap or electricity, and some others are interested in the vapor-compression cycle.

I thought about something one day: how is the DNA extracted from every alive being on this Earth? and is it possible to make this process in a simpler an more rudimentary way, so we can have fun at home, looking at a DNA molecule.



For this experiment, you need a DNA source, like spinach, broccoli, anything alive. For this experiment we'll take as an example spinach.It's better to use vegetables, because it's science is not that painful when you use them, comparing to the moments you kill the bugs in the garden and try to extract DNA from them.

The first step is to put in a blender 100 mg of spinach, 1/8 teaspoon table salt, which is less than 1 ml and a cup of cold water, no more than 200 ml. After you blend on high speed for 15 seconds, pour the created soup through a strainer in another container, and add 2 tablespoons of liquid detergent. Swirl to mix, and then let it sit for no more than 10 minutes. Then, put the mixture created into test tubes, each 1/3 full. Next step is to add some enzymes in each test tube, and to stir gently, trying not to break up the DNA. You can use meat tenderizer, and if you don't find, you can use pineapple juice or contact lens cleaning solution.

Now you should add rubbing alcohol (70-95% ethyl alcohol or isopropyl) and you should pour until you have the same amount of alcohol as the spinach mixture. Taking into account that alcohol has lower density than the water, it will float on top, and where the water and alcohol layers meet, there you will find some white stringy things. That is DNA molecule. It usually stays dissolved in water, but because you added salt in the beginning, it will be precipitated. You can use a small stick to collect it and if you want to keep it for a longer time, you should transfer it into a container filled with alcohol.



Now that you have found out the technique, you should try with other DNA sources, or with other compounds. You can change the detergent, or the alcohol, but you can make the experiment as explained here too. Many science experiments are cool and they bring scientific knowledge into your house!