HOSA Biotechnology Round 1 Practice Test

The idea being tested is rapid DNA amplification at one fixed temperature. Isothermal PCR fits this because it uses a DNA polymerase with strand-displacement activity to replicate DNA without the repeated heating and cooling of traditional PCR. By keeping the reaction at a single temperature, the strands don’t need to denature and re-anneal in cycles, so amplification can proceed more quickly and with simpler equipment.

RAPD relies on arbitrary primers but still uses standard thermocycling. Multiplex PCR aims to amplify several targets in one reaction, but it also follows temperature cycling. Degenerate PCR uses primers with mixed bases to accommodate sequence variation and also requires cycling temperatures. So only the isothermal approach truly accomplishes amplification at a constant temperature.