What role does the PCR play in the analysis of eDNA?

A. It generates larger amounts of DNA from tiny amounts.

B. It sorts different sizes of DNA fragments into a banding pattern.

C. It breaks DNA into fragments that vary in size.

D. It purifies any DNA obtained from the environment.

The correct answer is Α.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a laboratory technique commonly used in molecular biology experiments. PCR is used to make a very big amount of copies of a specific DNA region, that means that this specific DNA region is amplified. Once this targeted region is amplified, it can be sequenced, visualized or used for future experiments.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a term referring to the genetic material left by the organisms as they move and live in a specific environment. Due to the very small amounts of eDNA, PCR is needed to amplify the sample.