What is reverse primer?

A reverse primer is a short, single-stranded sequence of nucleotides used in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and other molecular Biology techniques. It anneals to the complementary strand of the DNA template, allowing for the synthesis of a new DNA strand in the 5' to 3' direction. Typically, a reverse primer is paired with a forward primer, which binds to the opposite strand, facilitating the amplification of a specific DNA segment. The careful design of reverse primers is crucial for the specificity and efficiency of PCR reactions.