Dna Synthesis

DNA polymerase to build on. DNA polymerase is the most important enzyme that links individual nucleotides together to form the PCR product (Garibyan & Avashia, 2013, p. 1).

PCR consists of three steps: denaturation, annealing, and extension. All of the components listed above are mixed together in a test tube and placed in a machine. In the denaturation step, "The reaction solution is heated above the melting point of the two complementary DNA strands of the target DNA, which allows the strands to separate. In the annealing step, the temperature is lowered to allow the specific primers to bind to the target DNA segments. Annealing only occurs only if the primers and the target DNA are complementary in sequence (A bind to T or C binds to G).

2). PCR allows for the number of copied DNA molecules to double. When forensic scientists analyze the PCR product, they use agarose gel electrophoresis because this separates the DNA products based on size and their charge. This is the most used method because it is easy, and it allows for the determination of the presence and the size of the PCR product (Garibyan & Avashia, 2013, p. 2). There are two PCR techniques that can be used. One is called Qualitative PCR. This technique is used to detect whether a specific DNA product is present or absent. The other technique is called Quantitative PCR. This specifies the amount of a specific DNA that is present in the sample. However, there are advantages and limitations of using PCR. Some advantages include it is an easy technique to use, obtain results quickly, and create millions of copies of the DNA product for sequencing, cloning, and analysis because it is a sensitive technique. Some limitations include that contamination can cause misleading results because it is a sensitive technique and some prior sequence data is needed to design primers (Garibyan & Avashia, 2013, p. 3). Once PCR testing (DNA analysis) is completed, the forensic