pcr Flashcards
anneal
The joining of two molecules, for example two complementary DNA strands during the cooling phase of PCR.
Forward primer
A technique that separates DNA fragments based on their molecular size.
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
A laboratory technique used to produce many identical copies of DNA from a small initial sample.
Primer
A short, single strand of nucleic acids that acts as a starting point for polymerase enzymes to attach.
Reverse primer
A DNA primer that binds to the 3’ end of the coding strand and reads the DNA in the reverse direction to RNA polymerase.
Taq polymerase
A heat-resistant DNA polymerase enzyme isolated from the bacteria Thermus aquaticus, which amplifies a single-stranded DNA molecule by attaching complementary nucleotides in PCR (at 72°C).