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The figure below shows three steps (A, B, C) of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Select the option giving correct identification together with what it represents?
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- B - Denaturation at a temperature of about 98°C separating the two DNA strands.
- A - Denaturation at a temperature of about 50°C.
- C - Extension in the presence of heat stable DNA polymerase.
- A - Annealing with two sets of primers.
Correct Option: C
PCR is a technique for enzymatically replicating DNA without using a living organism such as E. coli or yeast. It is commonly used in medical and biological research labs for a variety of tasks like detection of hereditary diseases, identification of genetic fingerprints etc.
The correct steps shown in the above figure are:
A – Denaturation at a temperature of about 94° to 98°C. During the denaturation, the double strand melts open to single stranded DNA, and all enzymatic reactions stop.
B – Annealing (binding of DNA primer to the separated strands. Occurs at 50° to 65°Celsius, which is lower than the optimal temperature of the DNA polymerases)
C – Extension or elongation of the strands using the DNA primer with heat-stable DNA polymerases, most frequently Taq (Thermus aquaticus) at 72ºC.
