Question

Describe the role of bacterium Thermus aquaticus in carrying the process of polymerase chain reaction.

Answer 1

Bacterium Thermus aquaticus produces an enzyme called Taq polymerase, which is resistant to denaturation by heat treatment. This enzyme is used to amplify a specific DNA fragment in a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. The enzyme utilizes building blocks [dNTPs (deoxynucleotides)] to extend the primer.