Question

You have learned that DNA testing can be used to solve crimes. One of the most common methods used to analyze DNA base pair sequences is called the Southern Blot, named after its inventor, British biologist Edwin Southern. Once the DNA sample is isolated from the cell, it is cut using special enzymes and sorted by size. The DNA is heated or chemically treated until it splits into a single strand. The strand is bonded to a special piece of nitrocellulose paper and exposed to a radioactive genetic probe. The probe is a specific sequence of 100 to 1,000 DNA bases. If an X-ray is taken of the pape