Why do we need billions of copies (photocopying) for target DNA segment. After all the segment has the same complementary base pair. I mean why do we need more than one even?
Hi,
Only after making billions of copies, we could efficiently detect the presence of target.
For example, If you have only 10 copies of bacterial genome without amplifying to billions of copies, you will not be able to detect it.
I think you may be confusing copies needed for amplification...one per genome will amplify perfectly well with the number of amplimers after pcr which is billions. Every 10 cycles of pcr is 1000 times more target so 20 cycles is 1000000 times more target and 30 cycles is 10exp9 times more amplified material and as Ajith Kumar says it is necessary to have millions of copies in order to see/sequence the product
More copies of required genome will be easily detectable in UV light (after gel electrophoresis). Ad they will be accumulated at the same place.
One or two genome will not be visible and also they may not our required genome.
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