Question

What does a thermocycler do?

A) Monitors the synthesis of DNA
B)Adds reagents to facilitate the PCR run
C)Subjects samples to temperature changes
D)Purifies DNA from a crude sample

Answer 1

A thermocycler is a basic tool used in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) process to amplify a specific DNA sequence. It controls the temperature cycling required for denaturation, annealing, and extension of DNA during the amplification process.

Step-by-step explanation:

A thermocycler is a basic tool used in a process called the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to study DNA. PCR is a technique used to amplify a specific DNA sequence. The thermocycler is responsible for cycling through different temperatures at regular time intervals, which is necessary for the different steps of the PCR process.

During PCR, the thermocycler first heats the DNA samples to a high temperature, typically around 94°C, to denature the double-stranded DNA into single strands. Then, the temperature is lowered to allow DNA primers to anneal to the target sequence. Finally, the temperature is raised again, usually to around 72°C, to allow a heat-stable DNA polymerase enzyme, like Taq polymerase, to extend the primers and synthesize new DNA strands. This cycle is repeated multiple times to exponentially amplify the target DNA.

In summary, a thermocycler is a crucial tool in PCR that controls the temperature cycling required for denaturation, annealing, and extension of DNA during the amplification process.