While DNA is incredibly small, it's not invisible! You can't see individual strands under a microscope because they're only about 2 nanometers wide. That's 5 million times smaller than the width of your finger! However, if you have a large amount of DNA in a test tube, you can sometimes see it with the naked eye. This is often seen in school projects and science fairs where DNA is extracted.
Here's how it works:
- DNA extraction: In these experiments, DNA is extracted from a sample (like a strawberry) using a process that separates the DNA from other cellular components.
- Precipitating DNA: This extracted DNA is then made visible by using a solution that causes the DNA to clump together, making it larger and visible.
So, while you can't see individual DNA strands under a microscope, you can see a large amount of DNA with the naked eye after it has been extracted and precipitated.
