polymerase chain reaction

noun

: an in vitro technique for rapidly synthesizing large quantities of a given DNA segment that involves separating the DNA into its two complementary strands, using DNA polymerase to synthesize two-stranded DNA from each single strand, and repeating the process
abbreviation PCR

Examples of polymerase chain reaction in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Conventional diagnostic tools – blood tests and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses can take days to weeks. New Atlas, 26 Mar. 2025 So far, 96 of those samples were negative by polymerase chain reaction testing, or PCR, which detects live virus as well as inactive viral particles, indicating that those cheeses probably weren’t made with contaminated milk. Brenda Goodman, CNN, 14 Mar. 2025 Their main focus is implementing the use of portable polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing of viral diseases. Stephanie Edwards, Discover Magazine, 20 Feb. 2025 These include sophisticated machine-learning methods applied to medical data, cost-effective microfluidic and other lab-on-a-chip systems, and faster and cheaper laboratory tests such as rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for DNA analysis. Evan Ackerman, IEEE Spectrum, 29 May 2015 See All Example Sentences for polymerase chain reaction

Word History

First Known Use

1985, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of polymerase chain reaction was in 1985

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Cite this Entry

“Polymerase chain reaction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polymerase%20chain%20reaction. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

Medical Definition

polymerase chain reaction

noun
: an in vitro technique for rapidly synthesizing large quantities of a given DNA segment that involves separating the DNA into its two complementary strands, binding a primer to each single strand at the end of the given DNA segment where synthesis will start, using DNA polymerase to synthesize two-stranded DNA from each single strand, and repeating the process
abbreviation PCR

More from Merriam-Webster on polymerase chain reaction

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