Primer dimer

A primer dimer is a common artifact that can occur during the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) process. It results from the non-specific binding of two primers (short sequences of nucleotides) to each other instead of binding to the target DNA. This can lead to the amplification of the primers themselves rather than the intended DNA template. Primer dimers form when two primers have complementary sequences that allow them to anneal to each other, creating a double-stranded structure.