Forensic technicians unearth a skeleton from a shallow grave. They extract a tiny amount of DNA from the pulp found in the teeth. How could they obtain sufficient DNA for an analysis of the victim's genes?
A)subject the DNA to gel electrophoresis
B)use a nucleic acid probe
C)subject the specimen to amniocentesis
D)use the polymerase chain reaction
E)subject the DNA to restriction enzymes

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The best option to amplify a small amount of DNA would be to use the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which can replicate small amounts of DNA into larger quantities for analysis. Gel electrophoresis and restriction enzymes are techniques used after DNA amplification to analyze the DNA. Nucleic acid probes are used to detect specific sequences in DNA, but PCR would still be necessary to amplify the amount of DNA for analysis. Amniocentesis is a procedure used to collect fetal cells for genetic analysis during pregnancy and would not be applicable in this scenario.

Forensic Technicians Unearth a Skeleton from a Shallow Grave