DNA Lab Analysis

When we did the lab earlier this week, we focused on analyzing DNA. First, we took the raw wheat and mixed it with the hot water forming the wheat germ mixture. As the detergent was added it didn't sit at the top of the wheat mixture because it wasn't liquid detergent. We were careful not to mix it so rapidly that bubbles were not created. Alcohol was added after that. As the mixture sat, our observations were that we could see a white clear substance forming at the top of the yellow dirty orangesh mixture of the wheat, water, and alcohol. With the DNA coming into contact with the alcohol, it precipitated. The stringy collage as a result of the wheat germ soup stuff was the forming. After when we lifted the DNA out of the test tube all of the stings drained of the liquid and attached together forming a yellow faded pile of goo.

By doing this lab I learned that because the wheat germ mixture was more dense than the DNA, the DNA was able to float to the top.

The Stages of Mitosis

When we did our lab, we counted the number of cells in that part of the onion slide. The total number was 342 cells. Certain cells were at different stages and that is what the graph above shows. Four of the cells out of the 342 cells in that section were at the Telophase. In percent form, it was 6%. The same amount of cells were present for metaphase, 6%, two cells were in the middle of prophase. That is where we got the 4%. The last one was anaphase and when turned into a percent it is 4%. These were the cell phases. Interphase is when the nucleus in a cell is not dividing. Prophase is the first stages of mitosis when the cell starts breaking down. Metaphase is when the chromosomes line up along the spindle. Anaphase is when the chromotids migrate and move away from one another. Telophase is the final stage where everything is divided and surround a pair of chromosomes. The percentages help distinguish which phase takes the longest to go through. Since their were more cells in prophase, it can be inferred that prophase take the longest to go through. The period of one cell starting starts. As more cells enter that phase, less are exiting it and going to the next which is why it has a bigger percent of cells. So prophase and telophase probably take the same amount of time. Four percent of the time the cells are in anaphase. Most of the time cells are in interphase so interphase takes the longest to complete. Through the microscope we were able to observe all of these phases and identify them to create the graph. And vwalla!