PCR?

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a technique generally used in molecular biology, microbiology, genetics, diagnostics, clinical laboratories, forensic science, environmental science, hereditary studies, paternity testing, and many other applications. The name, polymerase chain reaction, comes from the DNA polymerase used to amplify (replicate many times) a piece of DNA by in vitro enzymatic replication. The original molecule or molecules of DNA are replicated by the DNA polymerase enzyme, thus doubling the number of DNA molecules. Then each of these molecules is replicated in a second "cycle" of replication, resulting in four times the number of the original molecules. Again, each of these molecules is replicated in a third cycle of replication. This process is known as a "chain reaction" in which the original DNA template is exponentially amplified. With PCR it is possible to amplify a single piece of DNA, or a very small number of pieces of DNA, over many cycles, generating millions of copies of the original DNA molecule. PCR has been extensively modified to perform a wide array of genetic manipulations, diagnostic tests, and for many other uses. See PCR Theory.......