A paleontologist has recovered a tiny bit of organic material from the 400-year-old preserved skin of an extinct dodo. She would like to compare DNA from the sample with DNA from living birds. Which of the following would be most useful for increasing the amount of DNA available for testing?
a. Restriction fragment analysis
b. Polymerase chain reaction
c. Molecular probe analysis
d. Electrophoresis

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the problem: The paleontologist needs to increase the amount of DNA from a small sample to compare it with DNA from living birds. This requires a method that amplifies DNA efficiently.
2. Review the options: Analyze each method provided in the question to determine which one is most suitable for amplifying DNA.
3. Option a: Restriction fragment analysis is used to cut DNA into smaller fragments using restriction enzymes, but it does not amplify DNA. This method is not suitable for increasing DNA quantity.
4. Option b: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a technique specifically designed to amplify DNA. It uses primers, DNA polymerase, and thermal cycling to create millions of copies of a specific DNA sequence, making it ideal for this purpose.
5. Option c and d: Molecular probe analysis and electrophoresis are used for identifying or separating DNA fragments, but they do not increase the amount of DNA. Therefore, they are not suitable for this task. Based on this analysis, the most useful method is polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Key Concepts

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is a molecular biology technique used to amplify specific DNA sequences, making millions of copies from a small sample. This is particularly useful when working with degraded or limited DNA, such as that from ancient or preserved specimens. By using primers that target specific regions of the DNA, PCR allows researchers to generate sufficient quantities for further analysis.

DNA Analysis Techniques

Various DNA analysis techniques, such as restriction fragment analysis and electrophoresis, are used to study DNA structure and function. Restriction fragment analysis involves cutting DNA with specific enzymes to analyze the resulting fragments, while electrophoresis separates DNA fragments based on size. However, these methods do not increase the amount of DNA available, which is crucial in this context.

Molecular Probes

Molecular probes are short strands of nucleic acids used to detect specific sequences of DNA or RNA. They can bind to complementary sequences, allowing researchers to identify and quantify specific genetic material. While useful for analysis, molecular probes do not amplify DNA, making them less relevant for increasing the amount of DNA from a small sample.