MCB 3020L Chapter Notes - Chapter 22: Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism, Dna Profiling, Restriction Enzyme
Document Summary
Each individual (plant, animal, or bacterial cell) will have a dna profile that is as unique as a human fingerprint. Over 99% of the 3 billion nucleotides present in human dna (which we inherit from each of our two parents) are identical among all 7 billion human beings- so we"re very, very similar to one another. The exact number and size of these specific fragments produced by each specific restriction enzyme varies widely enough from individual to individual, so it can be used to identify dna from different individuals. This is why dna fingerprinting has proved valuable not only for convicting felons and exonerating the innocent, but also for establishing maternity or paternity and proving family relationships. These restriction fragments can be separated by size with gel electrophoresis. Linear segments of dna: number of dna fragments after digestion is equal to the number of restriction sites +1.
