Life Sciences / Practical Task Grade 12 Page 1 Of 6 Limpopo DoE / February 2023

NSC

NATIONAL
SENIOR CERTIFICATE

GRADE 12

LIFE SCIENCES PRACTICAL TASK 1

16 FEBRUARY 2023

MARKS: 40
TIME: 1 ½ hour
This question paper consists of 06 pages.

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Life Sciences / Practical Task Grade 12 Page 2 Of 6 Limpopo DoE / February 2023
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PRACTICAL TASK: EXTRACTION OF DNA FROM ONION CELLS

NAME OF THE SCHOOL: _________________________________

NAME OF THE LEARNER: ________________________________

DATE: ______________

INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION

1. You must use a non-programmable calculator where necessary.

2. Write neatly and legibly.

RESOURCES NEEDED:

 An onion,
 grater/peeler,
 scalpel/knife,
 electric kettle/anything that can boil water
 funnel, filter paper/blotting paper/paper towel/(white)cloth/tea strainer (very fine
sieve),
 small beaker(50ml)/small bottle onto which the funnel fits,
 10ml (about 1 tablespoon/2 teaspoons) dish-washing liquid,
 3g (about 1 tablespoon) table salt,
 cold water (100ml about half a cup) in large beaker/jar,
 ice (in an ice bath/a large container into which the large beaker or jar fits),
 hot water (600ml about 3 cups) poured into a large shallow container,
 meat tenderizer and
 methylated spirits.

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Life Sciences / Practical Task Grade 12 Page 3 Of 6 Limpopo DoE / February 2023
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PROCEDURE:
(a) Preparing a solution to break down the onion cells.
1. Add the dish-washing liquid and salt to the beaker of cold water and mix. The dish-
washing liquid breaks down the cell membranes. Remember DNA is not visible, so
the salt combines with the nucleic acids to form tiny crystals which we will be able to
see later.
2. Place the methylated spirits in one corner of the large container of ice/ice bath for
use later.
(b) Breaking up the cells to get to the DNA.
3. Remove the brown papery leaves of the onion.
4. Grate the onion into small pieces.
5. Add the onion pieces into the salt and dish-washing solution prepared in (a) earlier.
6. Place the large beaker/jar containing the above mixture in hot water for 15 minutes.
7. Then place the large beaker/jar in an ice bath (large container of ice) for about 5
minutes.

(c) Separating the nucleic acids from the rest of the cells.

8. Use the filter paper/blotting paper/paper towel/(white)cloth/tea strainer (very fine sieve) and
funnel to filter the mixture,
9. Collect about 10-15ml (about 2-3 tablespoons) of the filtrates into the small
beaker/small bottle. Larger particles/residues of the onion cells, such as cell walls
are left behind in the filter paper/blotting paper/paper towel/(white)cloth/tea strainer (very
fine sieve). Small particles including DNA and proteins pass through the filter paper
into the small beaker/bottle.

(d) Unwrapping the nucleic acids from its histone proteins.

10. Add about a teaspoon tip of meat tenderizer to the filtrate. DNA strands are
tightly wrapped around proteins called histone. This allows them to fit into the
nucleus as an entangled mass called chromatin network, even though the strands
are extremely long. The meat tenderizer contains the enzyme protease which breaks
down the histones. DNA strands break very easily, so you need to work very
carefully.

(e) Causing the nucleic acids to settle out of the solution

11. Cautiously pour about 1 teaspoon of the ice cold methylated spirit along the
walls of the inside of the beaker containing onion extract. DNA does not
dissolve in the methylated spirit. It forms a milky white cloud in the methylated spirit
above the layer of water.

******* What I see, hear, smell, touch and taste in the laboratory, I won’t forget*******

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Life Sciences / Practical Task Grade 12 Page 4 Of 6 Limpopo DoE / February 2023
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SECTION A

TEACHER OBSERVATION DURING EXPERIMENT (15)

ASSESSMENT 0 MARK 1 MARKs 2 MARKS COMMENTS

CRITERIA
[Link] Unable to follow Instructions Able to work
instructions instructions followed with independently
guidance
[Link] safety Unable to Sometimes does Able to follow
precautions observe safety not follow safety safety
precautions precautions precautions
completely
[Link]-work Procedure Procedure Procedure
through procedure in disorganized partially organized
orderly manner organized efficiently
4. Efficient use of Experiment not Experiment not Experiment
allocated time completed at all completed in time completed in
time
5. Ability to use Apparatus always Apparatus Apparatus
apparatus/equipment used incorrectly sometimes used always used
correctly correctly
[Link] to work tidily Cannot work tidily Can work tidily
[Link] or final No result or final Partially correct Results or
product product results or product product correct
8. Responses to No answers Can answer Can answer
questions based on provided to questions and at question and
experimental work questions least 60% are application
correct correctly
[15]

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Life Sciences / Practical Task Grade 12 Page 5 Of 6 Limpopo DoE / February 2023
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SECTION B

1. Identify the DNA you extracted whether is most likely to be nuclear DNA,
mitochondrial DNA or chloro-plastic DNA. Give THREE reasons for your answer.
(4)

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

2. What precautions must you take in carrying out stages (d) and (e)? (2)

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

3. Write down the sentences/phrases which best complete the functions of the
substances indicated in the table below. (4)

SUBSTANCE FUNCTIONS
a. Table salt
b. Dish-washing liquid
c. Meat tenderizer
d. Methylated spirits

4. According to your knowledge, by which protein are DNA strands tightly wrapped?
(1)
________________________________________

5. State TWO substances that were used with water to prepare a solution. (2)

(a)______________________________________

(b)______________________________________

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Life Sciences / Practical Task Grade 12 Page 6 Of 6 Limpopo DoE / February 2023
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6. Why is the experiment placed in the container with ice-cubes? (2)

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

7. Suggest TWO reasons why extreme cold methylated spirit is used. (2)
________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

8. State FOUR genetic materials used to detect culprits/criminals through DNA.

(4)

(a)__________________________________

(b)__________________________________

(c)__________________________________

(d)__________________________________

9. If the DNA molecule extracted was analysed and found to contain 14% of
Thymine(T). What percentage of the molecule is Cytosine (C)? (2)

________________________________________________________________

10. State TWO functions of the DNA molecule? (2)

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

TOTAL QUESTION 2: 25
GRAND TOTAL: 40

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