Biomaterial Database

Introduction to the polymerase chain reaction. 2006

Y M Dennis Lo, and K C Allen Chan

Department of Chemical Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is an in vitro method for the amplification of DNA. Since the introduction of the PCR in 1985, it has become an indispensable technique for many applications in scientific research and clinical and forensic investigations. In this chapter, the principle and setup of PCR, as well as the methods for analyzing PCR products, will be discussed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008957	Models, Genetic	Theoretical representations that simulate the behavior or activity of genetic processes or phenomena. They include the use of mathematical equations, computers, and other electronic equipment.	Genetic Models,Genetic Model,Model, Genetic
D008967	Molecular Biology	A discipline concerned with studying biological phenomena in terms of the chemical and physical interactions of molecules.	Biochemical Genetics,Biology, Molecular,Genetics, Biochemical,Genetics, Molecular,Molecular Genetics,Biochemical Genetic,Genetic, Biochemical,Genetic, Molecular,Molecular Genetic
D004247	DNA	A deoxyribonucleotide polymer that is the primary genetic material of all cells. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms normally contain DNA in a double-stranded state, yet several important biological processes transiently involve single-stranded regions. DNA, which consists of a polysugar-phosphate backbone possessing projections of purines (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidines (thymine and cytosine), forms a double helix that is held together by hydrogen bonds between these purines and pyrimidines (adenine to thymine and guanine to cytosine).	DNA, Double-Stranded,Deoxyribonucleic Acid,ds-DNA,DNA, Double Stranded,Double-Stranded DNA,ds DNA
D012680	Sensitivity and Specificity	Binary classification measures to assess test results. Sensitivity or recall rate is the proportion of true positives. Specificity is the probability of correctly determining the absence of a condition. (From Last, Dictionary of Epidemiology, 2d ed)	Specificity,Sensitivity,Specificity and Sensitivity
D016133	Polymerase Chain Reaction	In vitro method for producing large amounts of specific DNA or RNA fragments of defined length and sequence from small amounts of short oligonucleotide flanking sequences (primers). The essential steps include thermal denaturation of the double-stranded target molecules, annealing of the primers to their complementary sequences, and extension of the annealed primers by enzymatic synthesis with DNA polymerase. The reaction is efficient, specific, and extremely sensitive. Uses for the reaction include disease diagnosis, detection of difficult-to-isolate pathogens, mutation analysis, genetic testing, DNA sequencing, and analyzing evolutionary relationships.	Anchored PCR,Inverse PCR,Nested PCR,PCR,Anchored Polymerase Chain Reaction,Inverse Polymerase Chain Reaction,Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction,PCR, Anchored,PCR, Inverse,PCR, Nested,Polymerase Chain Reactions,Reaction, Polymerase Chain,Reactions, Polymerase Chain
D017931	DNA Primers	Short sequences (generally about 10 base pairs) of DNA that are complementary to sequences of messenger RNA and allow reverse transcriptases to start copying the adjacent sequences of mRNA. Primers are used extensively in genetic and molecular biology techniques.	DNA Primer,Oligodeoxyribonucleotide Primer,Oligodeoxyribonucleotide Primers,Oligonucleotide Primer,Oligonucleotide Primers,Primer, DNA,Primer, Oligodeoxyribonucleotide,Primer, Oligonucleotide,Primers, DNA,Primers, Oligodeoxyribonucleotide,Primers, Oligonucleotide