Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Is this a valid experiment topic: If I extract DNA from a regular onion and a green onion which one will have a greater amount of DNA?

Snick02 wrote:Is this a valid experiment topic: If I extract DNA from a regular onion and a green onion which one will have a greater amount of DNA?

Hi Snik02,

If you are trying to enter this project into science fair, the ideal format for your experimental statement of the problem is: How does [X] (independent variable) affect [Y] (dependent variable)?
While you are definitely on the right track, perhaps a more appropriate statement of the problem would be: "How does the type of onion affect the amount of DNA found in each onion?" (and in your experiment, you'd test a regular (white?) onion versus a green onion)

If you need more help with your experiment, perhaps ScienceBuddies' Project Guide can help! (https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... ndex.shtml)

Hope this helped,

JSK

Hi its Snick02 again. So we followed the procedure of extracting onion DNA, but when you add the ethanol to the solution the solution was supposed to be like mucus but it wasn't. is there something we need to change?

Snick02 wrote:Hi its Snick02 again. So we followed the procedure of extracting onion DNA, but when you add the ethanol to the solution the solution was supposed to be like mucus but it wasn't. is there something we need to change?

Hi Snick02,

Is there any substance flowing out of the onion solution? The onion solution doesn't necessarily look like mucus; the white substance flowing out of the onion solution looks like white mucus (white, kind of stringy-ish)!

If there is no substance flowing out of your solution, if this substance isn't white and/or looking like mucus (remember, the DNA is supposed to look like mucus!), then you may have to repeat this experiment again!

Hope this helped,

JSK