Q.PCR and ELISA are two molecular diagnostic techniques.
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →PCR detects infections early by amplifying a pathogen's DNA/RNA from a trace sample; ELISA detects infections by exploiting the specific binding between an antigen and its antibody, visualised through an enzyme-catalysed colour reaction.
(a) PCR in molecular diagnosis: The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) uses a pair of primers specific to a pathogen's gene sequence, along with Taq polymerase, to selectively amplify that segment of DNA/RNA through repeated cycles of denaturation, annealing and extension — turning even a few copies of the pathogen's genetic material into millions of copies. Because it can detect the pathogen's DNA/RNA directly, PCR-based diagnosis (e.g. for HIV, or for the bacterium causing typhoid) can identify an infection at a very early stage — well before the pathogen has multiplied enough to produce clinical symptoms, or before the immune system has produced a detectable antibody response.
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