What Is the Purpose of Detergent in DNA Extraction?

Laundry detergent is used for many purposes, Here we discuss the Purpose of Detergent in the DNA Extraction process.

The most purpose of the detergent is cleaning. But detergent can be used for many purposes. For example, DNA extraction and more in the lab.

About DNA

No matter if you’re a human tomato or a rat every cell is able to contain DNA inside it (with certain rare exceptions, like mature human red blood cells). 

Every cell contains an exact duplicate of the same set of instructions. this set is referred to as the genome. Researchers study DNA for a variety of reasons.

To obtain the DNA of a cell scientists generally use one of the DNA extraction kits that are available from biotechnology companies.

They are able to determine the way that the instructions stored within DNA aid your body function optimally. They may use DNA to develop new medications or modify crops genetically so that they are immune to insects. 

They can determine who is the suspect of the crime and even make use of old DNA to reconstruct evolutionary history!

When a DNA extraction is performed, the detergent causes cells to into open space, also known as lysing to allow the DNA to be released into the solution. The addition of alcohol to the solution will cause the DNA to precipitate.

What Is the Purpose of Detergent in DNA Extraction?

During a DNA extraction, a detergent causes the cell to unwind or open, or lyse, (detergent is one of the important here) so that the DNA is released into the solution. Detergent is used to open any cell during this process. Mostly liquid detergent or simple detergent is used in DNA extraction process. Detergents make this process very easy.

After using it the pops open the cell. This is one of the important parts of this scientific process.

In simple words, The cell wall is made up of lipids, a type of fat. The detergent breaks down the fat from which the DNA can be extracted easily.

What is the Chemical Formula of Detergent?

The chemical formula of the detergent is C₁₈H₂₉NaO₃S. A synthetic detergent is any synthetic substance other than soap that is an effective cleanser and acts equally as a surface-active agent in hard or soft water.

Ingredients Used in Detergent?

Here is the list of all of the ingredients used in making detergent. You can guess how dangerous is detergent. It is made with many chemicals because for this reason detergent is also used in the labs for many purposes. These ingredients are most important for the formulation of detergent.

• Alcohol Ethoxylate (AE)
• Ethylene Diamine Disuccinate (SS-EDDS)
• Alkyl (or Alcohol)
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate (LAS)
• Ethoxy Sulphate (AES)
• Mono Ethanol Amine (MEA),
• 2-aminoethanol
• Ethanolamine
• Alkyl Sulphate (AS)
• Percarbonate
• Anionic surfactant
• Amine Oxide
• Polyethylene Glycols (PEG),
• Polyethylene Oxide (PEO)
• Polyoxyethylene (POE)
• Amphoteric surfactant
• Polyvinyl Alcohol
• Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC)
• Propylene Glycol
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
• Sodium Carbonate
• Citric Acid
• Sodium Disilicate
• Sodium Hypochlorite
• Cyclodextrin
• Sodium Triphosphate (STPP)
• Diethyl Ester Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride (DEEDMAC)
• Tetra Acetyl Ethylene Diamine (TAED)
• Ethanol
• Titanium and Titanium Dioxide
• Zinc Phthalocyanine Sulphonate (ZPS)

How to Use Detergent in DNA Extraction Process?

The complete use of detergent in DNA extraction according to Scientific American.

Put the strawberries in a resealable plastic sandwich bag and blow out all the excess air. Seal the bag tightly.

Squeeze and mash the strawberries with your fingers for two minutes. Before using detergent in the lab you need to know Is detergent acid base or salt.

Add three tablespoons of the extraction liquid you prepared to the strawberries in the bag. Let out all the excess air and seal the bag again.

Squeeze the strawberry mixture with your fingers for a minute.

Pour the strawberry mixture from the bag into the funnel. Let it drip through the cheesecloth and into the tall glass until there is very little liquid left in the funnel (only the wet pulp remains).

Pour the strained strawberry liquid from the tall glass into the smaller glass jar so that the jar is one-fourth full.

Measure one-half cup of cold rubbing alcohol. Tilt the jar and very slowly pour the wine into the bottom. Pour until a layer of alcohol about an inch deep forms on top of the strawberry liquid.

You may not need a full half cup of alcohol to make a one-inch layer. Do not allow strawberry liquid and alcohol to mix.

Study the mixture inside the jar. Strawberry DNA will show up as gooey clear/white string stuff.

Dip the bamboo skewer into the jar where the strawberry liquid and alcohol layers meet and then pull the skewer up.

You can try to use this DNA extraction activity on many other things. Grab some oatmeal or kiwi from the kitchen and try again!

If you have access to a milligram scale (called a balance), you can measure how much DNA you get (this is called the yield).

Simply weigh your clean bamboo skewer and then weigh the skewer again when you are done using it to extract as much DNA as you can from your strawberry DNA extraction.

Subtract the initial weight of the skewer with the DNA from its weight to get your final yield of DNA.

Try changing the different variables in this activity to see how you can change your strawberry DNA yield.

For example, you can start with different amounts of strawberries, using different detergents or different DNA sources (such as oatmeal or kiwi).

When you add a mixture of salt and detergent to mashed strawberries, the detergent helped lyse (pop open) the strawberry cells.

Releasing the DNA into the solution, while the salt helped create an environment where the different DNA Strands can gather and intertwine.

It is easy for you to see them. (When you mix the salt and detergent mixture, you’ve probably noticed more bubbles forming in the bag due to the detergent.)

After adding cold rubbing alcohol to the filtered strawberry liquid, the alcohol’s DNA should have precipitated. liquid while the rest of the liquid remains in solution.

You may have seen white/clear gooey DNA strands in between the two layers along with the alcohol layer.

A single strand of DNA is extremely short, too short to be seen with the naked eye, but since DNA is implicated in this activity, you were able to see how many octoploid cells out of three strawberries combined!

What Is the Purpose of the Detergent in the Lysis Solution?

In biological research according to the ThermoFisher, detergents are used to prevent nonspecific binding to cells (release soluble proteins), dissolve membrane proteins and lipids, control protein crystallization, affinity purification and immune processes, and additive in electrophoresis. is used as.

Final Words

Thanks for reading our article What Is the Purpose of Detergent in DNA Extraction? You read about many purposes of detergent.

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