13.5 | HOW DOES THE POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION AMPLIFY DNA?

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TOOLS FOR INVESTIGATING LIFE

13.22 The Polymerase Chain Reaction
The steps in this cyclic process are repeated many times to produce multiple identical copies of a DNA fragment. This makes enough
DNA for chemical analysis and genetic manipulations.

1 A DNA molecule 2 When the mixture 3 dNTPs and heat-resistant 4 The process is repeated, 5 By repeating the process, many
with a target cools, artificially DNA polymerase synthesize doubling the amount of copies of the original DNA can
sequence to be synthesized primers two new strands of DNA. DNA. be produced in a short time.
copied is heated bond to the single-
to 90°C to stranded DNA.
denature it.

Primer New DNA

5′ 3′
3′ 5′

Target
sequence
New DNA

13.5 RECAP
could withstand the 90°C denaturation temperature and would
not have to be added during each cycle. The idea worked, and Knowledge of the mechanisms of DNA replication
it earned biochemist Kary Mullis a Nobel prize. PCR has had led to the development of a technique for making
an enormous impact on genetic research. Some of its most strik- multiple copies of DNA sequences.
ing applications will be described in Chapters 15–18. These
applications range from amplifying DNA in order to identify • What is the role of primers in PCR? See pp. 286 and
an individual person or organism, to detection of diseases.
Figure 13.22

CHAPTER SUMMARY
13.1 What Is the Evidence that the Gene Is DNA?
• Griffith’s experiments in the 1920s demonstrated that some
substance in cells—then called a transforming principle—can
cause heritable changes in other cells. Review Figure 13.1
• The location and quantity of DNA in the cell suggested that
DNA might be the genetic material. Avery, MacLeod, and
McCarty isolated the transforming principle from bacteria and
identified it as DNA. Review Figure 13.2
• The Hershey–Chase experiment established conclusively that
DNA (and not protein) is the genetic material, by tracing the
DNA of radioactively labeled viruses, with which they infected
bacterial cells. Review Figure 13.4
• Genetic transformation of eukaryotic cells is called transfection.
Transformation and transfection can be studied with the aid of
a marker gene that confers a known and observable pheno-
type. Review Figure 13.5
13.2 What Is the Structure of DNA?
• Chargaff’s rule states that the amount of adenine in DNA is
equal to the amount of thymine, and that the amount of
guanine is equal to the amount of cytosine; thus the total