What is the Difference Between DNA and RNA Extraction?

The main difference between DNA and RNA extraction lies in the pH levels required for the extraction process. To extract DNA, the pH required is 8, while for RNA extraction, it is 4.7. Some key differences between DNA and RNA extraction include:

1. Process: DNA extraction involves cell lysis, membrane lipids removal, and DNA precipitation. RNA extraction involves cell lysis, disulphide bonds breakage, inactivation of contaminant proteins, and RNA precipitation.
2. Stability: RNA is less stable compared to DNA and can be rapidly degraded by the ribonuclease enzyme. Special care must be taken during the extraction process to ensure the purity of the sample.
3. Purification: The RNA extraction process purifies RNA, while the DNA extraction process purifies DNA.
4. Extraction Method: A common method for RNA extraction is Guanidinium thiocyanate-phenol-chloroform extraction, which is based on the principle of centrifugation and phase separation.

Both DNA and RNA extraction are essential for various molecular biology applications, such as studying genetic causes of diseases, detecting bacteria and viruses, and gene sequencing.

Comparative Table: DNA vs RNA Extraction

The key difference between DNA and RNA extraction lies in the pH levels required for the extraction process. DNA extraction requires a pH of 8, while RNA extraction requires a pH of 4.7. Here is a table summarizing the differences between DNA and RNA extraction:

In addition to the pH levels and reagents used, another important difference between the two extraction processes is that RNA extraction purifies RNA, while DNA extraction purifies DNA. The extraction methods for both nucleic acids involve cell lysis, inactivation of nucleases, and purification to separate the desired nucleic acid from cellular debris.