A single PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) amplification cycle consists of three main steps:

• Denaturation – The double-stranded DNA is heated (~94–98°C) to separate it into single strands.

• Annealing – The temperature is lowered (~50–65°C) so that primers can bind (anneal) to their complementary sequences on the single-stranded DNA.

• Extension (or Elongation) – DNA polymerase synthesizes a new DNA strand by adding nucleotides to the primers (~72°C for Taq polymerase).

──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────