1998 Volume 38 Issue 2 Pages 58-62
For most high school students in their biology laboratories, it seems difficult to extract DNA from tissues because the ordinary DNA extraction procedure which has been used in high school biology laboratories is complex and there are some problems with it.
The procedure was simplified to help biology teachers introduce the experiment in their ordinary biology classes. A cleansing and preservative solution for hard contact lenses was used as a detergent in place of sodium dodecyl sulphate, SDS. In order to freeze plant material to be crushed into fine pieces, dry ice, which can easily be obtained, was used instead of liquid nitrogen. The simplified procedure was shown to be applicable to DNA extraction from broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica Plenck.) flower buds as well as to that from a codfish (Gadus macrocephalus Tilesius) testis.
By using this procedure, students will be able to extract DNA from both animal and plant tissues within one class hour. This is very beneficial for the study of DNA in high school biology classes.
