What is PCR?
- PCR – Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Used to quickly make copies of DNA
- Starting materials – DNA Fragment (to be copied), DNA Polymerase, free nucleotides, primers (single stranded sequences of DNA used to initiate replication)
- Starting materials are placed in a flask and heated to 95 degrees Celsius (Denatures the DNA Strand)
- Flask is cooled to 37 degrees Celsius (bonds primers to DNA)
- Flask is heated back to 72 degrees Celsius (initiates replication)
- Can be done every 5 minutes to double amount of DNA
- RFLP requires large amounts of DNA, so PCR helps scientists take only a little DNA to run RFLP
- Rather than killing an embryo, just a few cells need to be removed
- Ancient Genetic material ca be better studied