what is the analysis of fragments of DNA as a form of identification?

Question

two words

Answer 1

DNA typing

Answer 2

Polymerase Chain Reaction or PCR is a reaction that takes advantages of certain properties of DNA to make large amounts of sections of DNA using a small amount of starting material. If you imagine a recipe book as a piece of DNA, PCR would be like finding that one or two copies of that book and making photocopies of a specific recipe in that book. Then you have copies of not just the recipe in the book, but also the copies of the recipe, which you can also use to make more copies. So PCR is a way to make HUGE amounts of sections of DNA starting with just a small amount of DNA. Also, since each copy can be used to make more copies, in other words, start with one, then two, then four, etc., it doesn't take too long to make a huge amount of DNA either. What PCR can't do is make full copies of the DNA that you get. In other words, PCR won't be able to make a full copy of the entire "book." While PCR can copy up to 10 kilobases of DNA, the longer the DNA that's copied, the more likely mistakes in the sequnces can happen leading to unreliable results. So most forensic PCR amplify up to 1000 base lengths. In other words, forensic scientists only amplify specific sections af a book. In forensic situations, usually not much DNA is available -- either at a crime scene (maybe just a few drops of blood, for example), or in a rape case (maybe just a few drops of semen on clothes), or in a mass disaster (where only parts of a body, like a leg, is found) or in a missing person's grave (where only bones are found). So PCR is used to amplify enough DNA that the forensic scientist can use to make a DNA profile that can hopefully be used to make a unique identification.

Answer 3

It is just like the upc labels you scan at the stores. Its called Bar Graphing.

Answer 4

genetic fingerprinting