Polymerase Chain Reaction - Glossary

1. Amplification- Increase in the number of copies of the desired DNA fragment.
2. Annealing- Attachment of an oligonucleotide primer to the DNA or RNA template.
3. Chromosome- Structures found in nucleus which carry the DNA molecule and the DNA holds gene.
4. Ct (cycle threshold)- The number of cycles required for the fluorescent signal to exceed levels.
5. Denaturation- The process of breaking of hydrogen bonds between the DNA bases in the DNA and converting DNA from double stranded to single stranded.
6. deoxynucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs) - Building blocks of DNA synthesis which helps to grow DNA strand in the presence of Taq polymerase enzyme. N stands for A, G, T and C. 
7. DNA - Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid is the polymer of nucleotides and it holds the genetic information of all living organisms.
8. DNA polymerase- Enzyme which catalyzes the DNA synthesis (copies DNA into DNA) by adding nucleotides to the 3' end of the growing DNA strand. It is a DNA dependent DNA polymerase enzyme.
9. DNA sequence - Order of nucleotides in a DNA.
10. Enzyme- A protein which catalyzes the particular biochemical reaction without changing the nature of the reaction.
11. Extension- The formation of new strand of DNA by Taq polymerase enzyme.
12. Fluorescence- The process in which a compound in an excited state emits light when it returning to the ground state.
13. Forward and Reverse Primers- Forward primer binds to the template DNA while reverse primer binds to the complementary strand.
14. Gene- Unit of inheritance. Each section of DNA which codes for single RNA or protein.
15. Melting temperature (Tm) - The temperature at which 50% of DNA is melted (2 strands of the double stranded DNA molecule detach due to the complete breakage of hydrogen bonding).
16. Nucleotide- A subunit of RNA or DNA consisting of nitrogenous base, a phosphate molecule and a sugar molecule.
17. Oligonucleotide - A short sequence of nucleotide.
18. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) - PCR is a technique used in molecular biology to make many copies of the desired DNA sequence.
19. Primer- A short oligonucleotide which is attached to the single stranded DNA molecule in order to provide a start point for strand synthesis.
20. Replication- The process of synthesis of new copy of DNA.
21. Reverse Transcriptase- Enzyme which catalyzes the synthesis of DNA from RNA template. It is an RNA dependent DNA polymerase enzyme.
22. RNA- Ribonucleic acid. A single stranded nucleic acid like DNA but having uracil instead of thymine as one of the bases.
23. Taq- A DNA polymerase commonly used in PCR, which can withstand high temperatures. 
24. Template DNA- A precise fragment of DNA which is used as a starting material in PCR for amplification.
25. Thermal cycler- Programmed and automated heating/cooling system for PCR applications. Enables denaturation, primer binding and extension cycles.
26. Thermus aquaticus- Thermophilic bacterium from which Taq polymerase is purified.

References:

• Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Glossary - passel. (n.d.). Plant and Soil Sciences eLibrary. https://passel2.unl.edu/view/lesson/d81d0eedbada/glossary
• P.Arora, M. (2005). Genetic Engineering (1st ed.). Himalaya Publishing House.
• What does ct mean. Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.wvdl.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/What-does-CTmeanfinahandoutlJanuary2014.pdf

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