Question

Nancy is a forensic scientist. She isolated DNA from the hair collected at the crime scene. However, the DNA extracted is very small in quantity, which is insufficient for analysis. What should she do?

a. Perform polymerase chain reaction
b. Look for other evidence
c. Discard the DNA sample
d. Ignore this fact and proceed with the analysis

Answer 1

Nancy should utilize the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify the small quantity of DNA she has extracted from the hair for subsequent analysis.

Step-by-step explanation:

If Nancy, a forensic scientist, has isolated DNA that is insufficient in quantity for analysis from a hair collected at a crime scene, she should perform a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR technique allows her to amplify specific regions of the DNA for further analysis, even when starting with very small amounts of DNA. This method is particularly useful in forensic science for identifying DNA samples left at crime scenes, analyzing for genetic diseases, determining paternity, and for many other applications where only a minute amount of DNA is available.