Experimental MumScience + Children = Fun + Mess

Here’s a cool experiment, where you get to see the bits that make you, you.

What You Need:

• Water, Salt, Dishwashing Liquid, Ice, Purple Methylated Spirits
• Bowl, Jug, Glass, Spoon
• You

What To Do:

• Add the ice to the bowl and sit the bottle of methylated spirits in the ice. Leave it to cool for a couple of hours. It is best not to place the methylated spirits in the fridge or freezer, as a spark could ignite fumes.
• In the jug, add 1 tablespoon of salt in 500mls of water, stir well. Place 3 tablespoons of this solution into the glass.
• Gargle with the salty water, swishing it all around your mouth. Do not swallow the solution, after about a minute; spit it back into the cup.
• Add a tiny drop of detergent to your cup and stir very gently, you want to avoid bubbles.
• Holding the glass at a 45 degree angle, slowly dribble the ice cold methylated spirits done the side of the glass. You want the alcohol to sit on top of the salty water. Pour until you have a layer 1-2cm high.
• You should notice, thin strands of DNA collect in the glass.

What’s Going On:

• Gargling with the salty water released some of your cheek cells. The detergent breaks the cell walls open, releasing the DNA within. As DNA is not soluble in alcohol, we can see the solid strands at the interface of the two solutions.

Glasgow Science Centre are hosting the Inside DNA exhibition, until 18 October. I hope to take a trip down to see it.

If you fancy some more, DNA activities, there are some cool ones here; we’re planning making the sequence bracelets.

Although I love Lego, don’t think I’ve got enough patience to spend quite so many hours creating a Lego Double Helix.