what is the role of dna polymerase in pcr
1 answer
The role of DNA polymerase in PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) is to synthesize new strands of DNA by adding nucleotides to the existing template strands. PCR requires a heat-stable DNA polymerase, usually Taq polymerase, that can withstand the high temperatures used in the amplification cycles. During the extension step of each cycle, the DNA polymerase binds to the primers and adds nucleotides complementary to the template strand, extending the new DNA strands. This process is repeated for multiple cycles to amplify the DNA segment of interest. DNA polymerase plays a crucial role in enabling the success and efficiency of the PCR reaction.