Multiplex PCR description difference

• A. Fluorescently labeled probe and >1 set of primers
• B. Uses a single primer set
• C. Does not detect organisms
• D. Replaces the need for DNA amplification

Answer: (A)

Multiplex PCR is about detecting multiple targets in one reaction by using several primer pairs simultaneously. To be able to tell which signal comes from which target, assays often include fluorescently labeled probes or distinct dyes that correspond to each target. This combination—more than one primer set plus a detection system that differentiates targets—is what defines multiplex PCR.

Using only a single primer set would yield a single target, not a multiplex result. The method can detect organisms when the targets are genes from those organisms, but it does not inherently mean organisms aren’t detected. And it does not replace DNA amplification—the whole purpose is to amplify multiple targets in one tube, not to skip amplification.