Wetlands are important ecosystems because they can naturally purify
water. Aquatic plants suck up
contaminants from the water that moves through these systems. Lemna (duckweed) and Typha (cattails), for example, take up
heavy metals, which helps maintain a healthy habitat for animal life. Wetlands host a number of invertebrates,
birds, and mammals. They also provide flood control and groundwater
replenishment. You can learn more about the important ecological functions of
wetlands at our booth!
In addition, you can learn about one of the most important building
blocks of life. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is present in nearly every organism
on earth and it contains all of the information necessary to build an individual.
Nearly every cell on the planet, with the exception of red blood cells and some
viruses, contains these long fibers of DNA. In our booth’s activity, you and
your group members will be able to extract the genetic material from a
strawberry. Strawberries are octoploid, which means they have eight copies of
each chromosome. A buffer composed of basic household materials can be used to
extract the DNA from the strawberry. This reaction buffer contains only soap,
salt, and water. The soap is used to break apart the plasma and nuclear
membranes to give us access to the genetic material, while the salt breaks up
the protein chains that surround the nucleic acids. Stop by our booth to learn
more about the structure of DNA and its importance!
To learn more check out the Biological Sciences website at NDSU here.
To learn more check out the Biological Sciences website at NDSU here.
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