What is PCR, or polymerase chain reaction?
PCR is a procedure that produces multiple copies of a short segment of DNA through cycles of: 1) denaturation (heat-induced separation of double-stranded DNA into single strands); 2) annealing (binding of specific primers on either end of the target segment); and 3) elongation (extension of the primer sequences over the target segment with DNA polymerase). The amplified product, doubled each cycle for 30 or more cycles, can then be subjected to further testing.
