Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Made Easy

Have you ever wondered about the correct order for one cycle of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)?

The correct order for one cycle of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is: denature DNA; anneal primers; and extend primers.

If you are curious about the process of polymerase chain reaction (PCR), you're in the right place! PCR is a powerful technique used in molecular biology to amplify a single or a few copies of a piece of DNA across several orders of magnitude, generating thousands to millions of copies of a particular DNA sequence.

During one cycle of PCR, the DNA is first denatured to separate the double-stranded DNA into two single strands. Next, the temperature is lowered to allow the primers to anneal or bind to the complementary sequences on the single-stranded DNA. Finally, the temperature is raised again to enable the DNA polymerase to extend or build new DNA strands using the primers as a starting point.

By repeating these cycles multiple times, each cycle doubles the amount of DNA, resulting in a dramatic increase in the number of copies of the target DNA. This allows researchers to study and analyze specific DNA sequences with great precision.

So, remember the correct order for one cycle of polymerase chain reaction (PCR): denature DNA; anneal primers; and extend primers. Happy experimenting!