Question

If the thermocycler omits the 72°C step in each cycle of a PCR run, the DNA strands would not fully separate. This step, known as the extension or elongation step, is crucial for the DNA polymerase to synthesize new DNA strands using the template DNA. Without this step, PCR amplification would be incomplete, and the desired DNA fragments would not be replicated accurately.

Answer 1

The thermocycler is a machine used in PCR to amplify specific DNA segments. It goes through cycles of denaturation, annealing, and extension. The 72°C step in each cycle is crucial for DNA synthesis and accurate replication of DNA fragments.

Step-by-step explanation:

The thermocycler is a machine used in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which is a molecular biology technique that amplifies specific segments of DNA. The thermocycler goes through multiple cycles, each consisting of three steps: denaturation, annealing, and extension. During denaturation, the DNA strands are separated by heating them to around 95°C. Annealing occurs at a lower temperature, usually around 50°C, where the primers attach to the template DNA. The extension step occurs at a higher temperature, typically 72°C, and is crucial for DNA synthesis by the heat-stable DNA polymerase. Without the extension step, the DNA strands would not fully separate, resulting in incomplete PCR amplification and inaccurate replication of the desired DNA fragments.