What is DNA fingerprinting and why is it important?

DNA fingerprinting is a test that is done to determine the genetic makeup of a person. It is also known as DNA profiling or genetic fingerprinting. Everyone has a unique sequence of DNA. The most commonly used methods for DNA fingerprinting include: Polymerase Chain Reaction and Restriction (PCR) Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP).

DNA fingerprinting plays vital role in our society; it is used in many spheres of life to identify a person from others. We use to determine blood relationships between people, to identify a body, in forensic studies, to determine if two people are genetically a good match, used in medicine to determine the possibility of the genetic match for organ donation. DNA fingerprinting can also be done on other living organisms; it plays an important role in agriculture as well. DNA fingerprinting can be used to determine the modification of genetic materials in the plant.

The term DNA fingerprinting can also be called DNA profiling or genetic fingerprinting. DNA fingerprinting is a process used to identify unique qualities of your DNA. It is called DNA fingerprinting because these unique qualities of your DNA are just as unique and specific to you as your own fingerprints.

This can allow scientists or other individuals who may need this information to be able to identify you out of many other people just by the unique patterns of your DNA. It is often used during police or criminal investigations to identify the culprit or at least identify someone who was involved.