Linked from

The 107 pages that link to Polymerase chain reaction, each with the reason it gives.

• Nobel Prize in Physiology or MedicineBroader topic: Kary Mullis received the 1993 prize for inventing this DNA-amplification method.

• Genetic testingRelated: PCR amplifies targeted regions so tests can detect specific variants or prepare samples for analysis.

• Ancient DNARelated: Early ancient-DNA studies used amplification, but it also magnified contaminating DNA.

• DNARelated: PCR makes small amounts of DNA available for analysis and testing.

• Environmental DNARelated: PCR can amplify scarce target DNA recovered from environmental samples.

• Molecular biologyRelated: PCR greatly expanded the speed and scale of molecular analysis.

• Protein denaturationRelated: Its high-temperature step separates DNA strands by disrupting hydrogen bonding, not protein denaturation.

• DNA profilingRelated: PCR amplifies small amounts of DNA so marker regions can be measured.

• Nucleic acidRelated: PCR amplifies DNA sequences for testing, research, and identification.

• KaryotypeCompared with: It tests targeted genetic regions rather than surveying whole chromosomes visually.

• Recombinant DNARelated: PCR can amplify insert sequences before assembly or verify recombinant constructs afterward.

• DNA polymeraseBroader topic: PCR uses a heat-stable DNA polymerase to amplify DNA outside cells.

• BiotechnologyRelated: Amplifying DNA makes genetic material easier to analyze, modify, and use.

• InfectionRelated: PCR can detect genetic material from infectious agents in patient samples.

• NucleobaseRelated: Base complementarity allows primers to target and copy chosen DNA sequences.

• Blood cultureCompared with: PCR can detect microbial genetic material without waiting for growth.

• ExtremophileRelated: PCR depends on thermostable enzymes first obtained from thermophilic organisms.

• Fluorescence in situ hybridizationCompared with: PCR amplifies DNA, whereas FISH shows where target sequences occur in cells.

• SerologyCompared with: PCR detects genetic material rather than the host's antibody response.

• Herpes simplex virusRelated: PCR is the preferred method for detecting herpes simplex DNA in many lesion and cerebrospinal-fluid samples.

• Reverse transcription polymerase chain reactionBroader topic: Its cycling steps multiply the DNA made from the original RNA.

• Minimal residual diseaseRelated: It can identify cancer-linked genetic sequences in samples containing very few tumor cells.

• False negativeRelated: Low target concentration or poor specimen handling can still produce a negative result.

• Bacterial cultureCompared with: PCR can detect bacterial DNA without waiting for organisms to grow.

• Nucleic acid amplification testBroader topic: PCR is the best-known amplification chemistry used in these tests.

• Watson–Crick base pairingRelated: Sequence-specific primers bind complementary DNA through base pairing.

• Directed evolutionRelated: PCR can copy and diversify genes between rounds of evolution.

• Molecular cloningCompared with: PCR can amplify DNA directly without propagating it in a host vector.

• Molecular genetic testingRelated: Targeted tests often amplify a gene region before checking it for a known variant.

• ThermophileRelated: PCR depends on a heat-stable polymerase originally obtained from a thermophile.

• ViremiaRelated: Reverse-transcription PCR can detect viral genomes in blood samples.

• DeoxyriboseRelated: Its polymerase copies DNA strands made from deoxyribose nucleotides.

• Forensic geneticsRelated: PCR amplifies small amounts of DNA from crime-scene samples for profiling.

• Herpes simplexRelated: PCR testing of a sore swab can identify herpes simplex virus DNA.

• Liquid biopsyRelated: PCR-based methods amplify target sequences before or during liquid-biopsy analysis.

• Molecular geneticsRelated: PCR makes small amounts of genetic material easier to analyze.

• MycoplasmaRelated: PCR can detect Mycoplasma genetic material directly in respiratory or urogenital specimens.

• SARS-CoV-2Related: PCR-based tests detect SARS-CoV-2 genetic material in clinical samples.

• Viral replicationCompared with: PCR amplifies genetic material in vitro, unlike viral replication inside cells.

• Herpes simplex encephalitisRelated: CSF PCR is the principal test for detecting herpes simplex viral DNA.

• Herpes simplex virus type 1Related: PCR of cerebrospinal fluid is the main test for HSV encephalitis.

• Molecular diagnosticsRelated: PCR amplifies target DNA so rare disease-associated sequences become detectable.

• Southern blotCompared with: PCR detects or amplifies chosen sequences without transferring genomic fragments to a membrane.

• Varicella-zoster virusRelated: PCR testing of lesion material can confirm suspected varicella-zoster infection.

• Agarose gel electrophoresisRelated: A gel can show whether amplification produced a fragment of the expected size.

• Site-directed mutagenesisRelated: PCR-based protocols copy a template while incorporating mutation-bearing primers.

• ThymineRelated: DNA primers and copied products contain thymine residues.

• DermatophytosisRelated: Molecular testing can identify dermatophytes directly from clinical samples.

• DNA fingerprintingRelated: PCR amplifies small or degraded samples so their variable regions can be measured.

• Entamoeba histolyticaRelated: PCR can identify E. histolytica DNA and separate it from morphologically similar species.