You are attempting to determine whether a plant-derived processed food sample (for example, a
corn chip) contains material from a genetically-modified organism (GMO). First, you crush the sample
and attempt to extract DNA from it. Next, you perform PCR using two different sets of primers. One
primer set will amplify a DNA sequence present in all plants. The second primer set will amplify a DNA
sequence only found in GMO plants.
1) Why must you use both sets of primers for this experiment?
No one has answered this question yet.
In this experiment, you are trying to determine whether a plant-derived processed food sample contains material from a genetically-modified organism (GMO). To do this, you use two different sets of primers in the PCR step. Let me explain why you need both sets of primers:
1) Amplifying a DNA sequence present in all plants:
By using the primer set that amplifies a DNA sequence present in all plants, you are ensuring that your PCR reaction is working properly and your DNA extraction was successful. This set of primers acts as a positive control for your experiment. If you don't see amplification using these primers, it suggests that there may have been an issue in the DNA extraction or PCR process.
2) Amplifying a DNA sequence found only in GMO plants:
The second set of primers is designed to specifically amplify a DNA sequence that is found only in GMO plants. By using these primers, you can detect the presence of GMO material in the plant-derived processed food sample. If there is amplification using this set of primers, it suggests that the sample contains material from a genetically-modified organism.
Using both sets of primers helps in confirming the reliability of your results. If you see amplification with the positive control primer set but not with the GMO-specific primer set, it indicates that there is no presence of GMO material in the sample. On the other hand, if you see amplification with both primer sets, it suggests that the sample contains GMO material.
In summary, using both sets of primers is essential for this experiment to ensure the reliability of detecting GMO material in the plant-derived processed food sample.