What is the first step of the PCR process called?

The first step of the PCR process is denaturation. During this phase, the double-stranded DNA is heated, typically to around 94-98 degrees Celsius. This high temperature causes the hydrogen bonds between the base pairs to break, resulting in the separation of the two strands of DNA. Denaturation is crucial as it provides single-stranded DNA templates that are necessary for the subsequent steps in PCR.

The effectiveness of PCR relies heavily on this initial step; without proper denaturation, the synthesis of new DNA strands during the annealing and elongation phases would not be possible. The proper separation of the DNA strands sets the foundation for the entire amplification process, allowing the primers to bind to the single-stranded templates in the next step, which is annealing.