PCR

Polymerase chain reactions, or PCR, is a technique used in labs to quickly amplify strands of DNA. This lab technique can copy millions of strands of DNA in hours. The process can amplify a known strand of DNA, or an unknown sequence as long as there is a known sequence directly around it. The section of DNA you want to replicate is boiled in order to break the hydrogen bonds holding the double stranded DNA together. A primer is used in order to bind to the now single stranded DNA to make a small section double stranded. Millions of nucleotides, as well as DNA polymerase is added to the DNA. This allows the DNA to grow into a new copy of double stranded DNA. The primers as a part of the new strand of DNA, so you need millions of copies of the primer to create millions of copies of DNA. PCR is an extremely useful technique; it allows scientists to replicate enough DNA to be visible in a gel.