DNA, the genetic code of all organisms, can help in the analysis of the organisms evolutionary history. All organisms, alive and extinct, descended from one creature. As time went on mutations accumulated in the DNA sequence of the progeny. By sequencing the genetic code of an organism in relation to another, their evolutionary history can be placed onto a phylogenetic tree. In this experiment, DNA barcoding was used to to identify a species and place it onto a phylogenetic tree. DNA barcoding can also be used to identify unknown organisms. Identifying species play a very serious role in criminal justice and forensics as well as ensuring that business involved in food production and processing do not deceptively label their …show more content…
The dissolution of the nuclear membrane and the release of the DNA was facilitated by the lysis solution. The tube was then incubated in a heat block for 10 mins at 65 degrees centigrade and then placed in a micro-centrifuge for ten minutes. After Centrifugation, the supernatant was collected and transferred into a new tube. Then 3 microliters of silica resin was added to the supernatant to bind present nucleic acids. The tube was then incubated for 5 minutes in a heat block at 57 degrees centigrade. Then Wash Buffer was added to remove contaminants. Then the collection and centrifugation of the supernatant was repeated three more times.
PCR
DNA Barcoding uses PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) to amplify the COI (cytochrome Oxidase I) gene of a tissue. In PCR the DNA fragment is placed into a tube with DNA primers and Taq Polymerases. Taq polymerases are used because they are one of the few DNA enzymes capable of withstanding the high heat needed to separate the DNA fragment into two strands.
After the strands have separated the temperature sis then called to allow the primers to anneal to the strands. The the the Taq polymerase extends the DNA fragment by adding nucleotides to make a longer strand of DNA.
This cycle is then prepared multiple times to produce large amounts of