What's a DNA fingerprint?

Question

What information can it give you?

Answer 1

Not really a "fingerprint", rather a trace of biological material sufficient to extract DNA identeifiable fragments that distinguish one person from all or nearly all others.

The trick (as with regular fingerprints -- classically grease on glass or ink on paper) -- is their classification. With modern science traces of bodily fluids or other bits can be replicated and then tested and one gets a series of numbers (or dots on a graph) that can be classified and categorized and distinguished from all (one hopes) others.

The science is progressing rapidly. But still, incompetence, slothfulness and venality result in mis-identification and mismatching. And potentially wrongful conviction if a defendant hasn't the means to respond.

Answer 2

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The chemical structure of everyone's DNA is the same. The only difference between people (or any animal) is the order of the base pairs. There are so many millions of base pairs in each person's DNA that every person has a different sequence.

Using these sequences, every person could be identified solely by the sequence of their base pairs. However, because there are so many millions of base pairs, the task would be very time-consuming. Instead, scientists are able to use a shorter method, because of repeating patterns in DNA.

These patterns do not, however, give an individual "fingerprint," but they are able to determine whether two DNA samples are from the same person, related people, or non-related people. Scientists use a small number of sequences of DNA that are known to vary among individuals a great deal, and analyze those to get a certain probability of a match.

Answer 3

Well, omitting the technical jargons tht involves in DNA fingerprinting, i'de simply say tht it is a method of matching specific DNA identities exclusively to a an individual

DNA fingerprint refers to specific arrangement of DNAs that only applies to 1 individual..u can hardly get it wrong or mixed up.The information DNA fingerprint provide are:

- paternal testing to see who's an individual real biological father
- matching samples found in crime scene/ accident/crash tragedy (biological samples-be it blood, semen, hair etc) to a set of database composed of individuals DNA fingerprinting for an exact match- if u watch CSI, u'll notice the database is called CODIS
-finding the relationship between individuals..this is pretty interesting if u are constructing ur own family tree

Overall..it is very handy at times of crisis and tragedy when loved ones are lost. Hurricanes, fatal plane crash etc have always used DNA fingerprinting to help identify the victims.

well...good luck!

Answer 4

DNA fingerprints provides information regarding genetical behaviour and characters. The loci and the other embryogenic are the important parameters for DNA fingerprinting either it is in plants, animals or humans.

Answer 5

Genetic fingers, DNA testing, DNA typing, and DNA profiling are techniques used to distinguish between individuals of the same species using only samples of their DNA. Its invention by Sir Alec Jeffreys at the University of Leicester was announced in 1985. Two humans will have the vast majority of their DNA sequence in common. Genetic fingerprinting exploits highly variable repeating sequences called minisatellites. Two unrelated humans will be likely to have different numbers of minisatellites at a given locus. By using PCR to detect the number of repeats at several loci, it is possible to establish a match that is extremely unlikely to have arisen by coincidence, except in the case of identical twins, who will have identical genetic profiles.

Genetic fingerprinting is used in forensic science, to match suspects to samples of blood, hair, saliva or semen. It has also led to several exonerations of formerly convicted suspects. It is also used in such applications as identifying human remains, paternity testing, match organ donors, studying populations of wild animals, and establishing the province or composition of foods. It has also been used to generate hypotheses on the pattern of the human diaspora in prehistoric times.

Testing is subject to the legal code of the jurisdiction in which it is performed. Usually the testing is voluntary, but it can be made compulsory by such instruments as a search warrant or court order. Several jurisdictions have also begun to assemble databases containing DNA information of convicts.

The United Kingdom currently has the most extensive DNA database in the world, with well over 2 million records as of 2005: The National DNA Database (NDNAD). The size of this database, and its rate of growth, is giving concern to civil liberties groups in the UK, where police have wide-ranging powers to take samples and retain them even in the event of acquittal.

You could get more information from the link below...

Answer 6

Genetic fingers, DNA testing, DNA typing, and DNA profiling are techniques used to distinguish between individuals of the same species using only samples of their DNA. Its invention by Sir Alec Jeffreys at the University of Leicester was announced in 1985. Two humans will have the vast majority of their DNA sequence in common. Genetic fingerprinting exploits highly variable repeating sequences called minisatellites. Two unrelated humans will be likely to have different numbers of minisatellites at a given locus. By using PCR to detect the number of repeats at several loci, it is possible to establish a match that is extremely unlikely to have arisen by coincidence, except in the case of identical twins, who will have identical genetic profiles.

Genetic fingerprinting is used in forensic science, to match suspects to samples of blood, hair, saliva or semen. It has also led to several exonerations of formerly convicted suspects. It is also used in such applications as identifying human remains, paternity testing, match organ donors, studying populations of wild animals, and establishing the province or composition of foods. It has also been used to generate hypotheses on the pattern of the human diaspora in prehistoric times.

Testing is subject to the legal code of the jurisdiction in which it is performed. Usually the testing is voluntary, but it can be made compulsory by such instruments as a search warrant or court order. Several jurisdictions have also begun to assemble databases containing DNA information of convicts.

The United Kingdom currently has the most extensive DNA database in the world, with well over 2 million records as of 2005: The National DNA Database (NDNAD). The size of this database, and its rate of growth, is giving concern to civil liberties groups in the UK, where police have wide-ranging powers to take samples and retain them even in the event of acquittal.


see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_DNA_Database
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sheppard/analyze.html
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/html/columnists/dalyacolumn8.htm
http://www.benecke.com/dna.html
http://science.howstuffworks.com/dna-evidence.htm

Answer 7

DNA uniquely identifies a person, much like a fingerprint. Theoretically it has the code for all your genetics, although for forensics purposes they do not identify the genetics, just compare to another person to establish identity (like checking fingerprints on something)

Answer 8

If you take DNA and digest it with certain enzymes, some fragments will vary in length from individual to individual. With the right enzymes, if you look at the distribution of sizes for any individual, only an idetical twin would have the same pattern.

Answer 9

Each individual has a different DNA sequence. Just like there are no two finger prints alike there are no two DNA sequences alike.

Answer 10

Its the way your proteins link together. They all have letters that they stand for and the fingerprint is the sequence in which they strand together with.