Question:
The primary purpose of PCR is to:
The primary purpose of PCR is to:
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PCR allows for the exponential amplification of DNA. The formula to calculate the number of DNA copies after $n$ cycles is $2^n$.
Remember the sequence of steps: Denaturation $\rightarrow$ Annealing $\rightarrow$ Extension.
Remember the sequence of steps: Denaturation $\rightarrow$ Annealing $\rightarrow$ Extension.
Updated On: Jun 3, 2026
- Cut DNA into fragments
- Amplify specific DNA sequences
- Translate proteins
- Sequence RNA
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The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question asks to identify the fundamental biological purpose of the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique in biotechnology.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
• PCR stands for Polymerase Chain Reaction, which is a revolutionary molecular biology technique developed by Kary Mullis in 1983.
• The primary objective of PCR is amplification, which means synthesizing multiple copies (millions to billions) of a specific segment of DNA from a very small initial template sample.
• The process is performed in vitro (in a test tube) and relies on thermal cycling, which consists of repeated cycles of heating and cooling for reaction events.
• Each cycle consists of three fundamental steps:
- Denaturation: High temperature ($94\text{--}96^\circ\text{C}$) is used to separate the double-stranded DNA template into single strands by breaking hydrogen bonds.
- Annealing: Lower temperature ($50\text{--}65^\circ\text{C}$) allows synthetic oligonucleotide primers to bind to their complementary sequences on the single-stranded DNA template.
- Extension: An intermediate temperature ($72^\circ\text{C}$) enables a thermostable DNA polymerase (such as Taq polymerase) to synthesize new complementary strands by adding dNTPs.
• In contrast, cutting DNA into fragments is done by restriction endonucleases (Option A); translating proteins is a natural ribosome-mediated cellular process (Option C); and sequencing RNA is a different diagnostic or analytical method (Option D).
Step 3: Final Answer:
The primary purpose of PCR is to amplify specific DNA sequences.
The question asks to identify the fundamental biological purpose of the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique in biotechnology.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
• PCR stands for Polymerase Chain Reaction, which is a revolutionary molecular biology technique developed by Kary Mullis in 1983.
• The primary objective of PCR is amplification, which means synthesizing multiple copies (millions to billions) of a specific segment of DNA from a very small initial template sample.
• The process is performed in vitro (in a test tube) and relies on thermal cycling, which consists of repeated cycles of heating and cooling for reaction events.
• Each cycle consists of three fundamental steps:
- Denaturation: High temperature ($94\text{--}96^\circ\text{C}$) is used to separate the double-stranded DNA template into single strands by breaking hydrogen bonds.
- Annealing: Lower temperature ($50\text{--}65^\circ\text{C}$) allows synthetic oligonucleotide primers to bind to their complementary sequences on the single-stranded DNA template.
- Extension: An intermediate temperature ($72^\circ\text{C}$) enables a thermostable DNA polymerase (such as Taq polymerase) to synthesize new complementary strands by adding dNTPs.
• In contrast, cutting DNA into fragments is done by restriction endonucleases (Option A); translating proteins is a natural ribosome-mediated cellular process (Option C); and sequencing RNA is a different diagnostic or analytical method (Option D).
Step 3: Final Answer:
The primary purpose of PCR is to amplify specific DNA sequences.
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