DNA Fingerprinting

DNA Fingerprinting

• DNA is now a powerful tool in identification.
• Based on the fact that the amount of "junk DNA" differs uniquely between individuals.
• Structural genes are often separated by large regions of repeating basepairs.
• The number of these repeats is unique to an individual.
• Therefor when DNA from a person is cut with a restriction enzyme, the length of the fragments will be unique to an individual.

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• This will therefor produce a unique banding pattern following a gel electrophoresis.

• This test is highly accurate, and the probability of another individual possessing an identical banding pattern is estimated as around 1:14,000,000,000.