DNA Extraction Lab Conclusion

In this lab we asked the question of: How can DNA be separated from cheek cells in order to study it? My hypothesis was: Swish Gatorade around in mouth, scrape the insides of your cheek, spit it back in the cup, put it in a test tube, add pineapple juice, add sugar, add detergent, shake it six times, then slowly pour alcohol into the test tube. After pouring the alcohol into the test tube, small clumps of DNA rose to the top with the alcohol. The detergent, sugar, and juice was protease to lysis the DNA, being catabolic. This result happened because the juice, sugar, and detergent helped the DNA come out, and the alcohol was made the DNA float up.
While our hypothesis was supported by our data, there could have been errors due to the amount of detergent or juice we put in, because the drops could vary in sizes. In future experiments, measuring out the liquid before pouring it in would be easier. Also, while swishing the Gatorade, people could have swished the Gatorade for different amounts of time, causing more or less cheek cells to come off. We could have had a timer to be more exact next time.
This lab was done to demonstrate the steps and process to extract DNA. From this lab, I learned how to get DNA from my cells, which helps me understand how DNA works inside the cell. Based on my experience from this lab, I understand how polar and nonpolar substances can separate other substances.