PURPOSE: To rapidly and effectively extract nucleic acids by adding a lysing composition comprising several kinds of specific additives to cells o virions containing the nucleic acids in the absence of a proteolytic enzyme, heating the mixture and subsequently recovering the nucleic acids from the treated mixture.

CONSTITUTION: One or more kinds of cells or virions containing nucleic acids are mixed with the following lysing composition without the use of proteolytic enzymes. The composition comprises an organic buffer (e.g. tricine) for maintaining the composition at a pH of 4-10, a catalytic amount of a source of a DNA polymerase cofactor, a stabilizer and at least one adaptable nonionic surfactant which will release the nucleic acids from cytoplasmic and nuclear membranes of the cells or virions. The resulting mixture is heated to the boiling point for five to fifteen minutes, and the nucleic acids are recovered from the heated mixture by either one method of filtration, centrifugal separation, decantation, suction, etc. All the extraction operations for the nucleic acids can be performed within a short time of about 15 min.