Do you watch courtroom dramas on TV? Have you tried one of those family genealogy tests? Have you ever been tested for COVID? If you answered yes to at least one of these, then you have been exposed to a PCR test. This is used to test for DNA or RNA in a sample acquired from the field. Whether that's a person or an environmental site. But how does it work and what are some of the common variations of the PCR test that are utilized today? Let's break it down so you know what happening after that swab is removed from your nose. Image from Time Magazine.