Final answer:
PCR Step: Denaturation. In the PCR process, denaturation is the step where the double-stranded DNA template separates into two single-stranded DNA molecules. This occurs when the DNA sample is heated to break the hydrogen bonds between the strands.
Step-by-step explanation:
PCR Step: Denaturation
In the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the step where the double-stranded template molecule becomes single-stranded is called denaturation. During denaturation, the DNA sample is heated to break the hydrogen bonds between the two DNA strands, resulting in two separate single-stranded DNA molecules. This step typically occurs at a high temperature, around 94 to 96°C, to ensure complete denaturation of the DNA strands.
The PCR step during which double-stranded DNA becomes single-stranded is called denaturing. This step precedes annealing and extension in the PCR cycle, and it involves heating the DNA to break the hydrogen bonds between strands.
The step in a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) reaction that is known as denaturation is the denaturing step. During this first step of the PCR cycle, the double-stranded DNA template is heated to a high temperature, typically between 94 to 96°C. This causes the hydrogen bonds holding the two strands together to break, resulting in the separation of the DNA into two single strands, ready for the next step of annealing.
Following denaturation, the temperature is decreased to allow the primers to bind to their respective complementary sequences on the single-stranded DNA during the annealing step, thus setting the stage for the synthesis of new DNA strands. In the final extension step, the enzyme Taq polymerase synthesizes the new DNA strand by extending from the primers. The cycle of denaturation, annealing, and extension is repeated multiple times, leading to an exponential increase in the number of DNA copies.