Diversity is Often ________ When T-RFLP is Used

Question

Diversity is often ________ when T-RFLP is used.
A) underestimated
B) overestimated
C) randomly overestimated or underestimated
D) impossible to estimate

Accepted Answer

T-RFLP is a molecular biology technique that analyzes the length differences of PCR-amplified DNA fragments. It is often subject to certain biases and limitations. One of these biases is that it may underestimate the true diversity of microbial communities because it is based on a single gene and does not capture the diversity of different genes that may be involved in community functioning.