Which statement correctly distinguishes PCR from transcription?

• A. PCR uses DNA nucleotides and DNA polymerase.
• B. RNA polymerase is used in PCR.
• C. PCR produces RNA.
• D. Transcription uses RNA nucleotides and RNA polymerase.

Answer: (A)

PCR relies on DNA building blocks and a DNA polymerase to copy DNA. This means the reaction uses deoxyribonucleotides (dNTPs) and a DNA-dependent DNA polymerase to synthesize new DNA strands, producing DNA amplicons rather than RNA. Transcription, in contrast, uses ribonucleotides (rNTPs) and an RNA polymerase to synthesize RNA from a DNA template. So saying that PCR uses DNA nucleotides and DNA polymerase highlights the fundamental difference from transcription, which uses RNA nucleotides and RNA polymerase. The other statements either describe transcription’s components (RNA polymerase, RNA production) or incorrectly assign them to PCR, making them less precise as distinguishing features.