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Polymerase chain reaction
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===Stages=== [[File:Exponential Amplification.svg|thumb|upright=1.3|Exponential amplification]] As with other chemical reactions, the reaction rate and efficiency of PCR are affected by limiting factors. Thus, the entire PCR process can further be divided into three stages based on reaction progress: * ''Exponential amplification'': At every cycle, the amount of product is doubled (assuming 100% reaction efficiency). After 30 cycles, a single copy of DNA can be increased up to 1,000,000,000 (one billion) copies. In a sense, then, the replication of a discrete strand of DNA is being manipulated in a tube under controlled conditions.<ref name="Schochetman 1988 1154β1157">{{cite journal | vauthors = Schochetman G, Ou CY, Jones WK | title = Polymerase chain reaction | journal = The Journal of Infectious Diseases | volume = 158 | issue = 6 | pages = 1154β57 | date = December 1988 | pmid = 2461996 | doi = 10.1093/infdis/158.6.1154 | jstor = 30137034 }}</ref> The reaction is very sensitive: only minute quantities of DNA must be present. * ''Leveling off stage'': The reaction slows as the DNA polymerase loses activity and as consumption of reagents, such as dNTPs and primers, causes them to become more limited. * ''Plateau'': No more product accumulates due to exhaustion of reagents and enzyme.
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