Sameeksha
Sameeksha
WHAT IS PCR?
PCR or Polymerase Chain Reaction is a technique used in
molecular biology to create several copies of a certain DNA
segment. This technique was developed in 1983 by Kary
Mullis, an American biochemist. PCR has made it possible
to generate millions of copies of a small segment of DNA.
This tool is commonly used in the molecular biology and
biotechnology labs.
5
WHAT IS PCR?
Components Of PCR constitutes the following:
WHAT IS PCR?
3.Oligonucleotide Primers- These are the short stretches of single-
stranded DNA complementary to the 3’ ends of sense and anti-sense
strands.
WHAT IS PCR?
STEPS OF PCR
PCR consists of three basic steps:
• Denaturation at 94-96 °C
• Annealing at ~68°C
• Elongation at Ca. 72 °C
9
STEPS OF PCR
1. Denaturation:
Two strand of DNA separates (melt down) to form single stranded DNA
This step is generally carried out at 92C-96C for 2 minutes.
Denaturation occurs when the reaction mixture is heated to 94 ℃ for about 0.5 to 2
minutes. This breaks the hydrogen bonds between the two strands of DNA and converts
it into a single-stranded DNA.
The single strands now act as a template for the production of new strands of DNA. The
temperature should be provided for a longer time to ensure the separation of the two
strands.
STEPS OF PCR
2. Annealing:
TYPES OF PCR
Real-time PCR:
In this type, the DNA amplification is detected in real-time
with the help of a fluorescent reporter. The signal strength of
the fluorescent reporter is directly proportional to the number
of amplified DNA molecules.
Nested PCR:
This was designed to improve sensitivity and specificity. They
reduce the non-specific binding of products due to the
amplification of unexpected primer binding sites.
13
TYPES OF PCR
Multiplex PCR:
This is used for the amplification of multiple targets in a
single PCR experiment. It amplifies many different DNA
sequences simultaneously.
Quantitative PCR:
It uses the DNA amplification linearity to detect, characterize
and quantify a known sequence in a sample.