Introduction to Polymerase Chain Reaction quiz Flashcards

The primary purpose of PCR is to make many identical copies of DNA in a test tube very quickly and efficiently.

PCR occurs within a test tube, whereas DNA cloning occurs within a cell.

The four main components are template DNA, DNA primers, thermostable DNA polymerase (Taq polymerase), and all four DNA nucleotides.

DNA primers are complementary to the opposite strands of DNA and serve as the starting point for DNA amplification.

Taq polymerase is a thermostable DNA polymerase that can withstand the high temperatures required for DNA denaturation.

The formula is 2 raised to the power of n, where n represents the number of PCR cycles.

During denaturation, the DNA is heated to high temperatures, causing the two strands to separate.

During annealing, DNA primers bind to the single-stranded DNA at cooler temperatures.

During extension, Taq polymerase builds new DNA strands by extending from the primers in the 5' to 3' direction.

A typical PCR process takes about 1.5 to 2 hours, whereas DNA cloning can take well over 24 hours.

A thermostable DNA polymerase, like Taq polymerase, is essential because it can function at the high temperatures needed for DNA denaturation.

Deoxyribonucleotides are the building blocks used to synthesize new DNA strands during PCR.

PCR can amplify small amounts of DNA from a crime scene, providing enough material for forensic analysis.

The number of DNA copies doubles with each cycle, following the formula 2^n, where n is the number of cycles.

The three main steps are denaturation, annealing, and extension.

PCR stands for Polymerase Chain Reaction.

The primary purpose of PCR is to amplify a specific sequence of DNA.

PCR amplifies DNA in a test tube without living cells, while DNA cloning uses living cells to replicate DNA.

In PCR, 'amplify' refers to making many copies of a specific DNA sequence.

PCR can produce up to 1,000,000,000 copies of a single gene.

No, PCR does not remove introns; it copies the DNA sequence as it is.

Restriction enzymes cut DNA segments to create complementary sticky ends, not amplify DNA.

The amount of DNA doubles with each cycle of PCR.

No, determining the sequence of a DNA region is the role of DNA sequencing, not PCR.

Aerobic processes require oxygen, while anaerobic processes do not.

The active site is where substrates bind and reactions are catalyzed by the enzyme.

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) provides energy for various cellular processes.

DNA polymerase synthesizes new DNA strands by adding nucleotides to a template strand.

A gene is a segment of DNA that codes for a trait, while an allele is a variant form of a gene.

Primers are short DNA sequences that initiate DNA synthesis during PCR.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) involves three main steps: denaturation, annealing, and extension. 1) Denaturation: The double-stranded DNA is heated to around 94-98°C to separate it into two single strands. 2) Annealing: The temperature is lowered to 50-65°C to allow primers to bind to the complementary sequences on the single-stranded DNA. 3) Extension: The temperature is raised to 72°C, and the thermostable DNA polymerase (such as Taq polymerase) synthesizes a new DNA strand by adding nucleotides to the primer. These steps are repeated for 20-40 cycles to exponentially amplify the target DNA sequence.