Guanidinium thiocyanate-phenol-chloroform extraction

Okay kiddo, sometimes scientists need to get DNA out of cells to study it, but it's stuck inside the cell and it's not easy to just grab it out. So they use a special recipe called guanidinium thiocyanate-phenol-chloroform extraction to get the DNA out.

First, they take the cells they want to study and put them in a tube with guanidinium thiocyanate, which is like a special soap that helps break open the cells and release the DNA.

Then, they add some phenol which is like a special liquid that helps separate the DNA from other things that might be in there like proteins or fats.

Then they add chloroform which is like a special purifying liquid that helps clean up the mixture and separate the DNA even more.

After these three steps, the DNA is now floating in the top layer of the mixture and the scientists can easily remove it and use it for research.

It’s like making a special soup. You put in different ingredients that work together to make the best soup you can. And just like you use a strainer to get the soup out of the pot, scientists use the guanidinium thiocyanate-phenol-chloroform extraction method to get the DNA out of the cells.