DNA Fingerprint

DNA fingerprinting also known as DNA typing or genetic fingerprinting is a procedure used to analyse a person’s unique collection of DNA fragment. 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. This is because each person has his own set of DNA which is unique to him. 

Practical Applications of DNA Fingerprinting:

 DNA fingerprinting is used to determine paternity, forensic crime analysis, population genetics to analyze variation within populations or ethnic groups, conservation biology to study the genetic variability of endangered species, test for the presence of specific pathogens in food sources, detect genetically modified organisms either within plants or food products, evolutionary biology to compare DNA extracts from fossils to modern day counterparts, and in the identification of victims of a disaster. Beside that, DNA fingerprinting also can be use to screen genetic disorders, track genes responsible for causing certain diseases, and test the compatibility of potential organ donors with patients.