What is the importance of PCR?

PCR has become an important tool for medical diagnosis. PCR can detect and identify bacteria and viruses that cause infections such as tuberculosis, chlamydia, viral meningitis, viral hepatitis, HIV, cytomegalovirus and many others.

Why is PCR an important tool for DNA studies?

Using PCR, a DNA sequence can be amplified millions or billions of times, producing enough DNA copies to be analyzed using other techniques. For instance, the DNA may be visualized by gel electrophoresis, sent for sequencing, or digested with restriction enzymes and cloned into a plasmid.

How is PCR related to genetics?

PCR has been applied to many areas of research in molecular genetics: PCR allows rapid production of short pieces of DNA, even when not more than the sequence of the two primers is known. This ability of PCR augments many methods, such as generating hybridization probes for Southern or northern blot hybridization.

How is PCR used in the Human Genome Project?

What is PCR used for? For example, most mapping techniques in the Human Genome Project (HGP) relied on PCR. PCR is also valuable in a number of laboratory and clinical techniques, including DNA fingerprinting, detection of bacteria or viruses (particularly AIDS), and diagnosis of genetic disorders.

What is PCR used for in biotechnology?

The Biotechnology Revolution: PCR and the Use of Reverse Transcriptase to Clone Expressed Genes. Gene cloning and PCR allow scientists to make a large amount of DNA from only a small fragment. Rather, PCR involves the synthesis of multiple copies of specific DNA fragments using an enzyme known as DNA polymerase.

What are three important PCR applications?

We present a survey of the following applications of PCR: 1) The amplification of gene fragments as fast alternative of cloning. 2) The modification of DNA fragments. 3) The sensitive detection of pathogenic microorganisms, if desired followed by an accurate genotyping. 4) DNA analysis of arachaeological specimens.

How has PCR technology revolutionized genetic testing?

PCR makes it possible to produce millions of copies of a DNA sequence in a test tube in just a few hours, even with a very small initial amount of DNA. Since its introduction, PCR has revolutionized molecular biology, and it has become an essential tool for biologists, physicians, and anyone else who works with DNA.

Is PCR used for gene mapping?

From both conceptual and practical perspectives, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) represents a fundamental technology for genome mapping and sequencing. Moreover, applications of PCR have provided efficient approaches for identifying, isolating, mapping, and sequencing DNA, many of which are amenable to automation.