Human Molecular Genetics - PCR Overview

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) as introduced in the Human Molecular Genetics lecture.

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

A technique used to amplify a specific sequence of DNA, generating millions of copies from a small amount.

Denaturation

The first step in PCR where the reaction mixture is heated to 90-98°C to separate double-stranded DNA into single strands.

Annealing

The second step in PCR where the temperature is lowered to allow primers to bind to their complementary sequences in the DNA.

Extension

The third step in PCR where DNA polymerase synthesizes new DNA strands by adding nucleotides to the primer.

Magnesium chloride

A chemical component of PCR that is essential for the activity of DNA polymerase.

dNTPs

Deoxynucleotide triphosphates, the building blocks of DNA used in PCR.

 Cycle

The complete series of denaturation, annealing, and extension steps in PCR, typically repeated multiple times.

Taq polymerase

A heat-resistant DNA polymerase commonly used in PCR.

Quantitative Real Time PCR (qPCR)

A variant of PCR used for quantifying the amount of DNA in a sample in real time using fluorescent probes.

SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism)

A common type of genetic variation among people, targeted by allele-specific PCR.