Question

In respect to PCR technique, in a degraded biological sample, the longer the amplicon length:

• A. The higher the risk of failure in PCR
• B. The lowest the risk of failure in PCR
• C. The higher the risk of disturbing coding region
• D. The higher temperature is required to get better results

Hint:

When working with degraded samples, design primers for shorter amplicons to improve the likelihood of successful PCR amplification.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Degraded DNA typically consists of fragmented strands. Since PCR requires intact templates, longer amplicons increase the risk of amplification failure. Thus, short amplicon targets (e.g., miniSTRs) are frequently used with degraded DNA to ensure successful amplification despite fragmentation.