What Are Benefits of DNA Fingerprinting?

After its 1984 discovery in Great Britain, DNA fingerprinting rapidly became the preferred method of deducing everything from guilt and innocence to child paternity. This process, also known as DNA profiling or DNA typing, extracts the mini-satellites unique to each individual from a DNA sample and produces a genetic picture that is highly unlikely to be duplicated by results from a different person. This breakthrough in understanding genetics has had many scientific benefits and practical applications.

Forensics

• The most widely known use for DNA fingerprinting is in the field of forensics. Though this process is highly dramatized in popular fiction, samples of DNA do sometimes play a large part in the conviction or exoneration of individuals under suspicion of having committed a crime.

  The probability of two individuals producing the exact same DNA fingerprint is theoretically smaller than encountering two people with the same physical fingerprints. This makes DNA fingerprints extremely beneficial in analyzing crime scenes, identifying remains or any other area of forensic investigation.

  Since the process of DNA fingerprinting can be done on a very small sample, a drop of blood or semen is sufficient. The tests can be replicated for accuracy and the original sample stored in the event further testing is needed.

Paternity

• DNA fingerprinting has all but eliminated the possibility of parents claiming that they are not related to a child. Since the DNA of each individual is comprised of equal contributions from both parents, the resulting DNA fingerprint can be compared to the suspected parents, and a relationship can be determined with a degree of almost absolute certainty.

  One of the obvious benefits of DNA fingerprinting in questions of paternity is the peace of mind that the results may bring to parents who have reason to question the origins of a child. The results may also be used to enforce child support rulings or by adopted children seeking their biological parents.

Plants and Animals

• Advances in DNA fingerprinting have also led to benefits in both agriculture and animal husbandry. Much like the results from paternity tests in humans, DNA fingerprinting can be used to identify the origins of a particular plant or animal.

  This is beneficial in agriculture because it allows for the proper identification of seeds or plant samples to verify that they are from the particular desired species. DNA fingerprinting is also used to identify the origins of some of the herbs and plants used in alternative medicine.

  Large sums of money change hands on a daily basis for studs and other breeding animals. Using DNA fingerprinting, the exact origins and ancestry of an animal can be determined. As techniques advance and more is known about the genome, this could even lead to predictions of sickness and other factors that would further determine the animal's value.