A paleontologist has recovered a bit of tissue from the 400-year-old preserved skin of an extinct dodo (a bird). To compare a specific region of the DNA from the sample with DNA from living birds, which of the following would be most useful for increasing the amount of dodo DNA available for testing?
A) RFLP analysis
B) polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
C) electroporation
D) gel electrophoresis
E) Southern blotting

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a common molecular biology technique used to amplify a small amount of DNA into a larger amount. This would be the most useful method to increase the amount of dodo DNA available for testing, as the sample from the 400-year-old preserved skin may have degraded over time and produced only a limited amount of DNA. RFLP analysis (A), electroporation (C), gel electrophoresis (D), and Southern blotting (E) do not directly increase the amount of DNA available for testing but are techniques used for analyzing DNA once it has been isolated.

A Paleontologist Has Recovered a Bit of Tissue from the 400-Year-Old