PCR involves repeated cycles of heating and cooling to denature DNA strands, anneal primers to specific sequences, and extend the new DNA strand using a DNA polymerase enzyme. This cycle is repeated multiple times, leading to exponential amplification of the target genetic material. The process can be broken down into three main steps:
Denaturation: The DNA double helix is heated to separate it into two single strands. Annealing: Primers bind to the specific target sequences on the single-stranded DNA. Extension: DNA polymerase extends the primers, synthesizing a new strand of DNA.
