What is the correct order for one cycle of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)?

What are the steps involved in one cycle of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)? The correct order for a cycle of PCR is: denaturing the DNA, annealing primers to the single strands, and then extending the primers with Taq polymerase.

Understanding the Steps in Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

Denaturing: The first step in PCR involves denaturing the double-stranded DNA. This is done by heating the DNA to around 95°C, which separates the strands into single strands.

Annealing: After denaturation, the temperature is lowered to about 50-65°C. During this step, the primers that match the target sequence anneal or bind to the single-stranded DNA.

Extension: The final step in one cycle of PCR is extension. At a temperature of around 72°C, the enzyme Taq polymerase extends the primers by adding nucleotides to synthesize a new strand of DNA.

These three steps - denaturing, annealing, and extension - are repeated multiple times (usually 25-40 cycles) in a PCR machine to amplify the desired DNA segment exponentially.

← How do plants use carbon dioxide Proper sequence of making a protein →

More Posts: