Letter A

Amplification

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Making multiple copies of a gene or of any sequence of DNA.

Repeated copying of a piece of DNA.

In amplification there is an increase in the number of copies of any particular piece of DNA.

Gene amplification plays a role in cancer cells.

A tumor cell amplifies, or copies, DNA segments as a result of cell signals and sometimes environmental events.

Amplification can occur in vivo (in the living individual) or in vitro (literally 'in glass', or in a plastic vessel in the laboratory).

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