Primer dimer
= Primer dimer
{wiki}
A <primer dimer> is an amplification artifact in which <PCR primers> provide extendible partners for one another. Its accumulation consumes substrates and may produce a signal even without the intended template. It is not evidence that the intended <amplicon> was present.<Why do I see amplification curves in my NTC samples? by New England Biolabs>[FAQ: primer structures as DNA-polymerase substrates, and carryover PCR-product contamination]{ref}