What does the alcohol do when you are isolating DNA?

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Prepare for the PLTW Biomedical Science Test. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question comes with hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Multiple Choice

What does the alcohol do when you are isolating DNA?

Explanation:
Alcohol precipitation pulls DNA out of the liquid mixture during isolation. DNA is a long, negatively charged molecule that stays dissolved in water because it is highly hydrated. When you add alcohol (often cold ethanol or isopropanol) and salts, the solution becomes less polar and the charges on the DNA are shielded, so the DNA strands clump together and fall out of solution as a visible solid. This lets you collect and purify the DNA. The other options don’t fit because alcohol doesn’t oxidize DNA, break the base hydrogen bonds, or digest proteins.

Alcohol precipitation pulls DNA out of the liquid mixture during isolation. DNA is a long, negatively charged molecule that stays dissolved in water because it is highly hydrated. When you add alcohol (often cold ethanol or isopropanol) and salts, the solution becomes less polar and the charges on the DNA are shielded, so the DNA strands clump together and fall out of solution as a visible solid. This lets you collect and purify the DNA. The other options don’t fit because alcohol doesn’t oxidize DNA, break the base hydrogen bonds, or digest proteins.

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