Reference no: EM133833895

Question

Polymerase Chain Reaction, or PCR, was a major breakthrough in molecular biology because it enables us to make several copies (about a billion to be precise), of any gene we are interested in working with. The process involves several cycles of DNA synthesis that involve (1) heating the DNA, (2) cooling the DNA so that primers can anneal to the template, and (3) synthesizing the DNA with a DNA polymerase called Taq Polymerase. Taq polymerase is ideal because it can withstand the high temperatures required in step one of the cycle. But why are high temperatures necessary for PCR? To separate the strands of template DNA so that new primers can anneal to the template when cooled. To enable primers to come off of the DNA strands. To make the DNA polymerase synthesize DNA faster. To recreate the environment of the hot sulfur springs where bacteria that make Taq polymerase live.