Relative to your extracted DNAs, ethanol is more hydrophobic. What would the consequence be if ethanol were never added during the extraction process?

Answer 1

Ethanol is typically used in DNA extraction protocols to precipitate DNA from the aqueous solution. If ethanol were never added during the extraction process, the following consequences would likely occur:

1. DNA Remains Soluble: Without ethanol, DNA would remain soluble in the solution. This means that the DNA would not precipitate and separate from other cellular components like proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates, leading to a lower yield of purified DNA.

2. Increased Contaminants: The absence of ethanol would also mean that contaminants would remain mixed with the DNA solution. This could include proteins, salts, and other cellular debris that could interfere with downstream applications, such as PCR, sequencing, or cloning.

3. Lower Purity: The purity of the extracted DNA would be compromised. Contaminants could affect the quality of the DNA, influencing the results of molecular biology experiments where high purity is essential.

4. Difficulties in Handling and Storage: The final product would be a liquid solution with unprecipitated DNA, which would be more difficult to handle and store compared to a dry pellet of precipitated DNA. It would require additional steps to concentrate the DNA for use.

In summary, if ethanol were not added during the DNA extraction process, the primary consequences would be lower yields, higher contamination, reduced purity of the isolated DNA, and practical challenges in handling and storage.