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Gel Electrophoresis Virtual Lab
TURN OFF SOUND ON COMPUTER!!!
Objective:
Students will learn the steps of DNA fingerprinting by creating a fingerprint in a virtual lab. They
will use this fingerprint to solve a virtual crime. The virtual lab is interactive and goes through
the step-by-step process of DNA fingerprinting
Directions: Go to each of the websites as indicated and answer the questions as you complete the
activities.
SITE #1: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/labs/gel/
1.
What will you be doing in this lab?
2. What is in the liquid in the small plastic tube?
3. How can you sort and measure DNA strands in your tube even though you can’t see or touch them?
4. What can gel electrophoresis sort besides DNA?
5. What acts like a ‘filter’ to sort the DNA strands?
6. The gel is like a sponge made of
with many small holes in it.
7. What is placed into the holes at the one end of the gel?
8. How are the DNA strands pushed through the gel filter?
9. Which strands move more quickly through the gel?
10. Why does the gel need to be stained?
11. Is each band that is visible in the gel a single strand of DNA or large groups of DNA strands?
GEL ELECTROPHORESIS LABORATORY
12. STEP 1 = _____________________________
a.
What are the 2 ingredients used to make the gel?
b. Which ingredient is necessary to allow electricity to flow through the solution?
c.
What is the ultimate purpose of placing the comb in the gel?
13. STEP 2 = _____________________________
a.
What three things do you need for this step?
b. What is the purpose of the buffer?
14. STEP 3 = _____________________________
a.
What is the purpose of the loading buffer?
b. What piece of equipment is used to transfer the DNA sample from the tube into the well of
the gel?
c.
What is the purpose of the DNA size standard?
15. STEP 4 = _____________________________
a.
What charge does DNA have?
b. How do you know that a current is running through the electrophoresis box?
c.
Toward which charge does the DNA move?
d. Which strands move farther/faster from the starting point?
16. STEP 5 = _____________________________
a.
Estimate the length of the DNA strands in your sample. Write the three numbers below,
starting with the longest strand.
SITE # 2: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/education/body/create-dna-fingerprint.html
(You can also search for this using Google by searching for "NOVA create a DNA fingerprint")
17. What crime was committed?
18. Who are the suspects?
19. What will be used to create a DNA fingerprint?
20. What is Step 1?
21. Restriction enzymes act like
cutting the DNA into fragments based on its
.
22. Will everyone’s DNA fragments be the same length?
23. What is Step 2?
24. Agarose is a gel that is similar to
larger pieces.
, it will allow smaller pieces to move
25. What is Step 3?
26. What is Step 4?
27. Describe the process of electrophoresis.
28. Why do the DNA fragments move towards the positive end of the tray?
29. What size fragment will move through the gel the quickest/farthest?
30. How will the DNA fragments be distributed in the gel at the completion of electrophoresis?
31. What is Step 5?
32. What is Step 6?
than
33. Probes are small pieces of DNA that are radioactive. How do they attach themselves to the
fragments on the nylon sheet?
34. What is Step 7?
35. What is Step 8?
36. What do you have at the end of Step 8?
37. What is the final step?
38. Who committed the crime?
39. What is the proof that you have the correct culprit?
40. How is electrophoresis similar to an individual’s actual fingerprints?
41. DNA “fingerprinting” is used in a variety of court cases, from paternity test to criminal prosecution.
Why is DNA fingerprinting better than using actual fingerprints?
SITE #3: DNA.gov
42. Browse the website until you get a good idea what the purpose of the site is. In your opinion, what is
DNA.gov being used for?
43. DNA can be used to solve crimes, but the government also uses it for what other purposes?
44. Name a course that is offered at this site.
45. Look under statistics and find how many offender profiles are stored in your state's database. What
is a database?