Marshall Sixth Graders Extract DNA from Strawberries

Article and Photos courtesy of MARSHALL FUNDAMENTAL SCHOOL APRIL 4, 2023

Before the break, Ms. Veronica Serrano’s 6th Grade Class under the direction of scientist, Karen Jain students extracted DNA from strawberries after studying cell parts. The long, thick fibers of DNA store the information for the functioning of the chemistry of life. DNA is present in every cell of plants and animals. The DNA found in strawberry cells can be extracted using common, everyday materials. Strawberries are soft and easy to pulverize. Strawberries have large genomes; they are octoploid, which means they have eight of each type of chromosome in each cell. Thus, strawberries are an exceptional fruit to use in DNA extractions and strawberries yield more DNA than any other fruit (i.e. banana, kiwi, etc.).