PCR

Question 1

What does PCR do and why?

Answer 1

Makes copies of DNA as the study of the genome requires millions of copies of identical fragments to be made.

Question 2

What does in vitro mean?

Answer 2

Test tube

Question 3

What does in vivo mean?

Answer 3

Occurs within an organism ie in a lab

Question 4

What temperature is DNA heated to and why?

Answer 4

Heated to 94-96 degrees to break hydrogen bonds

Question 5

What temperature is present during the cooling stage and what does this allow?

Answer 5

50-56 degrees which allows primers to attach

Question 6

What does heat tolerant DNA polymerase do?

Answer 6

Adds nucleotides to primers at the 3’ end

Question 7

What are the 6 requirements for PCR?

Answer 7

> original DNA sample/template
a stock of each of the 4 DNA nucleotides
DNA primers for each strand of DNA nucleotides
DNA polymerase; enzyme + heat tolerant
buffer solutions ( to maintain optimum pH of enzymes
a thermal cycler ( automated reaction vesicle)

Question 8

Where is heat tolerant polymerase obtained from?

Answer 8

Bacteria that live in hot springs

Question 9

What does PCR stand for?

Answer 9

Polymerase Chain Reaction