1. Polymerase Chain
Reaction- PCR
By: Olivia Cade

2. What IS PCR?
• A method used to quickly produce a good
amount of identical genetic material for
studying and analyzing
• Basically, it’s used to make many copies of
genes in a quick and easy way so scientists can
observe them

3. A Brief History
• Developed in 1983 by Kary Mullis
• The first announcement of PCR
was made in October of 1985 That guy
• In 1986, Edward Blake ( a
forensics scientist) collaborated
with the FBI to apply the process
of PCR to criminal evidence
• Rights to the PCR patents were
sold to Hoffman-La Roche on July
23rd, 1991

4. Where or When is it used?
• Diagnosis of hereditary diseases, paternity
testing, DNA fingerprinting, forensic science,
and so much more!

5. Summary of Steps
• 1. Denaturation- The ‘melting’ of DNA into
separate strands
• 2. Annealing- Primers bind to the
complementary sequences on the lone
strands of DNA
• 3. Extension-Continuation of annealing,
creates copies
• Repeat

6. Step One
• Denaturing
-Heated to 94 degrees Celsius
-Bonds that are joining the two strands of DNA
together break
-Enables DNA to separate into lone strands

7. Step Two
• Annealing
-Cooled to 54 degrees Celsius
-Primers bind to their complementary
sequences on the single strands of DNA

8. Step Three
• Extension
-Sample is heated again to around
74 degrees Celsius
-DNA polymerase begins making a
new strand of DNA by joining
onto the primers
-Adds dNTPS (DNA’s monomer) to
the original strand, creates a copy
of the target sequence