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Genetics & Biotechnology vocabulary · PCR and Laboratory Methods

Primer

Meaning in genetics & biotechnology, with examples

/ˈpraɪmər/nounCore term

In genetics & biotechnology, primer means: A short, single-stranded piece of DNA, usually 18 to 25 bases long, that binds to a matching sequence and gives DNA polymerase a starting point for copying.

In Turkish: primer, öncül

How it is used

Used in PCR, qPCR and Sanger sequencing. Primers work in pairs: a forward primer and a reverse primer. Researchers design, order, test and validate primers and check their melting temperature (Tm) and specificity. 'Primer dimers' are unwanted products formed when primers bind to each other.

Example sentences

  1. I designed new primers because the old pair also amplified a second band.

  2. The forward primer binds just upstream of exon 3.

Common collocations

  • design primers
  • forward primer
  • reverse primer
  • primer pair
  • primer dimer
  • PCRPolymerase chain reaction: a lab method that makes millions of copies of a chosen DNA region by repeating cycles of heating and cooling with primers and a DNA polymerase.
  • qPCRQuantitative PCR, also called real-time PCR: a type of PCR that measures the amount of DNA as it is copied, using a fluorescent signal, to show how much target was in the sample.
  • amplifyTo make many copies of a specific DNA sequence, usually by PCR.
  • Sanger sequencingThe classic DNA sequencing method that reads one fragment at a time, up to about 1,000 bases, with very high accuracy. It is named after Frederick Sanger.

More terms: PCR and Laboratory Methods

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