Final answer:
The statement regarding FISH using labeled probes to detect specific whole cells is false. FISH actually utilizes fluorescently labeled DNA probes to detect and localize specific DNA sequences on chromosomes within cell samples, not to detect whole cells themselves.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that FISH uses labeled probes to detect specific whole cells is false. FISH (Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization) actually uses labeled probes to detect and localize the presence or absence of specific DNA sequences on chromosomes. The probes, which are short pieces of DNA complementary to the DNA sequence of interest, are typically labeled with fluorescent dyes. When these probes hybridize, or bind, to their complementary DNA within a cell or tissue sample, the location of these DNA fragments can be visualized under a fluorescence microscope.
The process involves denaturing the DNA in the sample to make it single-stranded, allowing the single-stranded DNA probe to anneal to the DNA sample at locations where their sequences are complementary. This technique is useful for both research and clinical diagnostics, such as determining disease pedigrees, detecting recombinant DNA, and identifying extracellular genes. It's important to note that FISH probes bind to specific DNA sequences rather than to whole cells.