Comparison of DNA
Peas compared to citrus fruits
Predictions
Anna- Orange will have more DNA because it is acidic and already has more liquid.
Katie- I think there will be more DNA from the lemon than the peas because lemons have more juice and liquid which might effect the DNA somehow.
Lyndie- I think the lime will have more DNA because of the different toxins in the fruit compared to the vegetable and how the cell wall is to be broken up.
Procedure
1) Get materials
2) Blend handful peas/other organism with 1 cup water and 1 pinch salt
3) Strain and place in cup
4) Add a few drops of soap to cup. Let sit 5-10 minutes.
5) Add enzyme (meat tenderizer), stir softly
6) Transfer to test tube
7) Slowly add alcohol
8) Repeat with other organism.
9) Observe, compare, and record.
DNA of pea pods
DNA of citrus fruits
Conclusion
The acidic fruits have more DNA than the peas and the appearance of the DNA of the acidic fruits is more transparent and stringy, as opposed to the more chunky and cloudy pea DNA. We think that this is because acid breaks the cell walls in citrus fruits faster than the peas' walls break down because they have less acid. Citrus fruits also have more chromosomes than peas.
Possible errors
- Putting a different amount of concentration between peas/citrus fruits
- Temperature of water in mixture
- Putting alcohol in too fast
- How long you let the mixture sit before putting soap in
- Different amounts of soap/enzyme
Possible future investigations
We could compare the citrus fruits to other non-acidic foods besides vegetables to see if this is always true, or if it might be just with peas for some reason.