PCR
Short description
PCR (polymerase chain reaction) is a laboratory technique used to specifically amplify certain segments of DNA and thereby detect them.
Synonyms
Polymerase chain reaction
Detailed description
In PCR, a selected section of DNA is amplified in several successive cycles using an enzyme called DNA polymerase. This produces a large number of copies of the target DNA sequence within a short period of time.
PCR is used, among other applications, to diagnose infectious diseases by detecting the genetic material of a pathogen. For pathogens with RNA as their genetic material, such as many viruses, the RNA is first converted into complementary DNA (cDNA) and then amplified. This method is known as reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR).
