PCR: copies double every cycle
"PCR: copies double every cycle" is a free, interactive Class 12 Biology simulation for NEET, built on the lesson "PCR" in Biotechnology: Principles and Processes. Each cycle runs denaturation, primer annealing and extension, and doubles the copies of the target DNA. Add cycles and watch the count. The graph's copies axis is logarithmic. PCR copies DNA in vitro by repeated cycles of denaturation, annealing and extension, doubling each time. Taq polymerase from Thermus aquaticus stays active at the high denaturing temperature.
From the lesson PCR in Biotechnology: Principles and Processes. Change the values and watch what happens.
The idea behind it
NCERT §9.3.3
- PCR, the polymerase chain reaction, synthesises many copies of a gene or DNA of interest in vitro.
- It uses two sets of primers and the enzyme DNA polymerase. Primers are short, chemically synthesised oligonucleotides complementary to regions of the DNA.
- Each cycle has three steps: denaturation of the double-stranded DNA, annealing of the primers, and extension of the primers.
- The polymerase extends the primers, using the nucleotides supplied and the genomic DNA as the template.
- Repeated many times, the process amplifies the DNA segment about a billion times, giving roughly 1 billion copies.
- Repeated cycles are possible because the DNA polymerase is thermostable. It is isolated from the bacterium Thermus aquaticus and stays active through the high temperature used to denature the DNA.
- The amplified fragment can then be ligated into a vector for further cloning.
Questions
2 answers
- What does the "PCR: copies double every cycle" simulation show?
- Each cycle runs denaturation, primer annealing and extension, and doubles the copies of the target DNA. Add cycles and watch the count. The graph's copies axis is logarithmic.
- Is this simulation free?
- Yes. It is free and runs in the browser on a phone or a laptop. It belongs to the lesson "PCR" in Biotechnology: Principles and Processes (Class 12 Biology).
Embed this simulation
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