Final answer:
The purpose of heating DNA to 96°C in PCR is to denature it into single strands, enabling the primers to anneal and DNA polymerase to synthesize new DNA strands in subsequent steps.
Step-by-step explanation:
The purpose of heating the DNA sample to 96°C in a PCR reaction is to denature the double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) into single strands, a process known as denaturation. This allows the DNA primers to anneal to each strand in subsequent steps of the PCR. During the PCR cycle, after this high-temperature step, the temperature is lowered to allow primer annealing and then raised again for the DNA polymerase to extend the new DNA strands.
PCR Cycle Steps:
Denaturation at 92-97°C: separation of DNA strands.
Annealing at 50-60°C: primers attach to each DNA strand.
Extension at 65-80°C: DNA polymerase synthesizes new DNA strand.