title: [The polymerase chain reaction].
abstract: The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a technique that enables us to prepare in a test tube billions of copies of a specific piece of DNA. The principles and practical aspects of the PCR are exposed. Within veterinary medicine the most important applications are expected to be i) the diagnostics of infectious diseases and ii) the detection of genetic disorders or desired genetic traits. The PCR can be carried out on a multitude of samples ranging from mummies to paraffin-embedded tissue specimens. However, inhibitors present in e.g. serum, urine and faeces have to be removed.
authors: Vakgroep Infectieziekten & Immunologie, Faculteit Diergeneeskunde, Utrecht.
authors: P F
authors: PF
authors: Hilderink
authors: J A
authors: JA
authors: Wagenaar
authors: J W
authors: JW
authors: van der Giessen
authors: B A
authors: BA
authors: van der Zeijst
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004261:DNA Replication; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006801:Humans; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D010446:Peptide Fragments
vernacular_title: De polymerase kettingreactie.