Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first video
Multiple Choice
Which PCR step causes the denaturation of double-stranded DNA?
A
Denaturation step
B
Extension step
C
Cooling step
D
Annealing step
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the PCR process: PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) is a technique used to amplify DNA. It involves repeated cycles of heating and cooling to denature DNA, anneal primers, and extend the DNA strands.
Identify the purpose of each PCR step: The PCR process consists of three main steps: denaturation, annealing, and extension. Each step serves a specific purpose in the amplification of DNA.
Focus on the denaturation step: During the denaturation step, the reaction mixture is heated to a high temperature, typically around 94-98°C. This high temperature causes the hydrogen bonds between the double-stranded DNA to break, resulting in the separation of the two strands.
Compare the denaturation step with other steps: The annealing step involves cooling the mixture to allow primers to bind to the single-stranded DNA, while the extension step involves synthesizing new DNA strands by adding nucleotides. Neither of these steps causes the DNA strands to separate.
Conclude the role of the denaturation step: The denaturation step is crucial for the separation of double-stranded DNA into single strands, which is necessary for the subsequent steps of annealing and extension in the PCR process.