If you started a PCR protocol with 10 double stranded molecule of DNA , how many double stranded molecules of product would you have after 5 cycles of PCR ?

Options

A. 32
B. 1024
C. 160
D. 320

Answer

To solve the question of how many double-stranded DNA molecules you would have after 5 cycles of PCR starting with 10 double-stranded molecules, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding PCR Cycles**:
- Each cycle of PCR doubles the amount of DNA. This means that if you start with a certain number of double-stranded DNA molecules, after one cycle, you will have double that amount.

2. **Initial Amount**:
- You start with 10 double-stranded DNA molecules.

3. **Calculating the Number of Molecules After Each Cycle**:
- **Cycle 1**:
- Starting with 10 molecules, after 1 cycle, you will have:
- \( 10 \times 2 = 20 \) molecules.
- **Cycle 2**:
- After the second cycle, you will have:
- \( 20 \times 2 = 40 \) molecules.
- **Cycle 3**:
- After the third cycle, you will have:
- \( 40 \times 2 = 80 \) molecules.
- **Cycle 4**:
- After the fourth cycle, you will have:
- \( 80 \times 2 = 160 \) molecules.
- **Cycle 5**:
- After the fifth cycle, you will have:
- \( 160 \times 2 = 320 \) molecules.

4. **Final Count**:
- After completing 5 cycles of PCR, you will end up with **320 double-stranded DNA molecules**.

### Final Answer:
After 5 cycles of PCR, starting with 10 double-stranded molecules, you will have **320 double-stranded molecules**.