DNA Fingerprinting: DNA fingerprints can establish parent/child relationships, help identify individuals from mortal remains at disaster sites, and exonerate wrongly accused convicts.
o Sperm and egg cells have only one copy of the genome each, unlike other cells.
o Chromosomes: DNA is packed inside chromosomes (e.g., chromosome no. 3 contains 6.5% of total DNA).
o Polymorphisms: Differences in DNA, called polymorphisms, help differentiate individuals and trace ancestry.
o STRs (Short Tandem Repeats): Repeated sequences of base-pairs in DNA, e.g., GATC-GATC-GATC. They are often polymorphic, making them ideal for DNA profiling.
o Identification: Used to identify individuals from teeth, bones, blood, spit, semen, skin etc.
o Forensics: Identifies suspects from crime scene materials (blood stains, sweat, spit, etc.).
o Ancestry and Parentage: Establishes parent/child relationships and traces ancestry.
o Cold Cases: Solves old cases by re-analyzing DNA from archived crime scene materials.
o Exoneration: Has helped exonerate wrongly accused convicts.
o Organ Donation: Identifies/excludes potential donors.
o Stability: DNA is highly stable — recovered from 65,000-year-old human remains.
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