Biology in the Laboratory

DNA in the Lab

How is PCR used for DNA profiling?

The PCR (polymerase chain reaction) technique is one of the methods used for DNA profiling. The success of the method depends on identifying where the DNA of two individuals varies the most and how this variation can be used to discriminate between two different DNA samples. In fact, PCR-based DNA fingerprinting is a rapid, inexpensive method and requires only a very small amount of DNA—as little as fifty white blood cells.