How To Extract DNA From Strawberries

Learn About DNA

Extracting DNA from strawberries is a fascinating subject. Kids love learning about the “map” that helps build organisms, but we can’t usually see DNA except with a high-powered microscope.

Want to introduce kiddos to human DNA? Make sure to check out our candy DNA model project!

The great thing about extracting DNA from a strawberry is that you can encourage the DNA strands to release from their cells and bind together into a visible format.

You can do this experiment with any fruit or vegetable, but strawberries are one of the best fruits due to their high number of DNA strands per cell (8 versus an ordinary 4)!

Strawberry DNA Lab

Recommended Grade Level: 5th- 6th Grades

This is an ideal introduction to genetics and DNA for upper elementary or early middle school students. At this level, the focus is on understanding the basic structure of living things and recognizing that DNA is the “blueprint” of life. The hands-on extraction process is engaging and helps students visualize something typically microscopic.

🔎 Check out more biology experiments for kids here.

Materials Needed:

• Coffee filters
• Pipette
• Test tube
• Strawberries
• Dish Soap
• Salt
• Plastic Zipper Baggies
• Rubbing Alcohol

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STEP 1. Chill the alcohol in the freezer.

STEP 2. Remove the green stems from the strawberries and add the strawberries to a zip lock bag. Make sure to seal the bag well and then squish the strawberries into a pulp.

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STEP 3. Add 1 tablespoon of dish soap, a teaspoon of salt, and 1/3 of a cup of water to the bag. Shake the bag to mix well.

STEP 4. Line the test tube with the coffee filter.

STEP 5. Pour the strawberry liquid onto the coffee filter and then wait for the liquid to filter into the test tube.

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STEP 6. Now add a one inch layer of chilled alcohol to the test tube.

Watch as a clear viscous material rises to the top of the alcohol. This is the strawberry DNA!

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Your kids can have an up-close look at strawberry DNA! How cool is that! Grab a magnifying glass and check it out. 

Strawberries are perfect for isolating, extracting, and observing DNA, making for an awesome science activity the kids won’t forget!

Biology is fascinating! This simple strawberry DNA extraction lab is a cool lesson in how so many of the living organisms on this planet are made up of DNA!

Learn more about the human body with our lung model and heart model activities!

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What Does Strawberry DNA Look Like?

Each cell in an organism has a copy of the DNA pattern used to reproduce that cell. Usually, the DNA is combined within the cell, so you can’t see it.

However, mixing dish soap and salt with crushed strawberry pulp helps break down the strawberry cells into individual parts. Crushing the strawberries helps release the DNA into the solution. The purpose of the salt is to help the strawberry DNA remain undissolved in water.

Once the alcohol is added to the strawberry pulp, the DNA strands rise to the top and bind together. This is where you can see them together in one long, clear strand.

It’s fascinating to see the strawberry DNA strands up close and personal! It doesn’t take long to extract DNA from strawberries. Just follow our simple instructions below. 

HOW IS STRAWBERRY DNA DIFFERENT FROM HUMAN DNA?

Our cells have two copies of their DNA, while strawberry cells have eight! This makes extracting enough DNA to see it with the naked eye easier.

Every living thing has DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, which is the blueprint for what makes you a human, a cat, a tree, a type of flower, etc. DNA is a molecule like a recipe for life and holds all the information your body needs to function. Pretty crazy!

Even more amazing is that a tiny percentage of our DNA makes us unique. You may also be surprised to know that some of the DNA in strawberries is also present in humans.