How is mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) typing used in forensic science?

Question

abb0t · Answer

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/how-is-mitochondrial-dna-used-in-forensics.html

bioepic · Answer

The mitrochondria contain's its own dna, which is inherited from your mother.

The Mitochondrial DNA Unit (mtDNAU) examines biological items of evidence from crime scenes to determine the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence from samples such as hair, bones, and teeth. Typically, these items contain low concentrations of degraded DNA, making them unsuitable for nuclear DNA examinations. The unit also maintains the National Missing Person DNA Database (NMPDD) program for the identification of missing and unidentified persons and the Scientific Working Group DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM) mtDNA Population Database, which is an integrated software and database resource for forensic comparison.

The Team

Biologists, forensic examiners, and management and program analysts.

The Work

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)

The high sensitivity of mtDNA analysis allows forensic scientists to obtain information from items of evidence associated with homicides or other criminal investigations, body identifications, cold cases, and small pieces of evidence containing little biological material. The maternal inheritance of mtDNA allows scientists to compare the mtDNA profile from the evidence (hairs, bones, etc.) to that of reference samples from the individual; the individuals mother, brother(s), sister(s); or any other maternally related family member. These samples should have the same mtDNA profiles because all maternal relatives inherit the same mtDNA. Since mtDNA is maternally inherited and multiple individuals can have the same mtDNA type, unique identifications are not possible using mtDNA analyses. However, mtDNA is an excellent technique to use for obtaining information in cases where nuclear DNA analysis is not feasible.

bioepic · Answer

@ronaldoxYz

aaronq · Answer

@BioEpic please cite your sources when directly copying and pasting http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/lab/biometric-analysis/mtdna

bioepic · Answer

Very sorry @aaronq! Here is the website I got the info from: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/lab/biometric-analysis/mtdna I apologize, and in no way did I mean to plagiarize.