Question

Although the entire protocol describes the process by which DNA is extracted from tissues only two of the steps are actually extraction steps. In this context an extraction refers to a step that removes (or extracts) something. These steps are the ones involving phenol and the one involving chloroform. What biological macromolecules are extracted by phenol and which ones are extracted by chloroform?

Answer 1

Phenol is utilized to extract proteins from tissue samples during DNA and RNA extraction, while chloroform helps remove any residual phenol, organic compounds, and lipids, aiding in the nucleic acids purification process.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the context of DNA and RNA extraction from tissues, phenol and chloroform are used in specific steps to isolate nucleic acids by extracting unwanted biological macromolecules. Phenol is used to extract proteins, which includes enzymatic proteins such as polymerases and proteases. These proteins can interfere with the nucleic acids, therefore, their removal is essential. Chloroform is utilized to further purify the nucleic acid samples by removing any phenol residues along with other organic compounds and lipids that may be present, aiding in the purification process. The combination of phenol and chloroform extraction is crucial for obtaining clean nucleic acid samples for further analyses such as PCR, cloning, and sequencing