Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is a powerful and versatile technique used in molecular biology to amplify DNA sequences. PCR enables the production of many copies of a specific segment of DNA in a short amount of time, making it a valuable tool in research, diagnostics, and biotechnology.
The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) process involves several steps that are repeated multiple times to generate many copies of the target DNA sequence. The first step is denaturation, in which the double-stranded DNA is separated into two single strands by heating the sample to a high temperature. The second step is annealing, where short DNA primers are added to the sample, which hybridize to complementary regions on the single-stranded DNA template. The third step is extension, where a DNA polymerase enzyme adds nucleotides to the 3' end of the primers, synthesizing a new complementary strand of DNA.
