The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is used to replicate segments of DNA. It is used to make DNA samples big enough for testing, starting from very small samples collected, for instance, from a crime scene. PCR can double the number of a particular DNA segment every two minutes. Write an equation for the number of segments as a function of the number of minutes, t, if there is initially just one segment.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The equation for the number of segments as a function of time is:
N(t) = 2^(t/2), where t is measured in minutes and N(t) is the number of segments.
Starting with just one segment, after t minutes, the number of segments is given by N(t) = 2^(t/2).
Therefore, the correct answer is B.

The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Is Used to Replicate Segments