Question

Compare and contrast nuclear DNA with mitochondrial DNA. Which one would you want to use in a criminal investigation if you had the choice?

Answer 1

@flashp
@HazelLuv99
@shifuyanli

Answer 2

mtDNA is located in the mitochondria which are outside of the nucleus of the cell.
Nuclear DNA is located within the nucleus of the cell.

There are a significant number (about 1,000) more mitochondria per cell than the single nucleus, so there are a significant number greater copies of mtDNA per cell than nuclear DNA.

mtDNA is inherited solely from the maternal line (your mtDNA is the same as your mother, her mother, her mother, and your siblings from your mother....)
Nuclear DNA is inherited half from mother and half from father. Therefore while you have the same mtDNA as your mother, maternal grandmother, and siblings from your mother, your nuclear DNA will be different.

The function of mtDNA vs nuclear DNA (the function of the DNA in the body) is irrelevant in forensic science.
What is relevant is how it can be utilized by forensic scientists: nuclear DNA is very useful for identifying individuals since, as noted above, it is created uniquely for each individual. mtDNA is useful in that it can distinguish maternal heritage... it can be used to determine if someone is related to another individual, even through several generations.

Answer 3

In simple words Nuclear DNA. It is more complex and will yield more reliable markers.
Mitochondrial DNA has less variability as it is passed directly from mother to offspring in humans. Nuclear DNA is mixed and matched, and so is different except in the case of identical twins

Answer 4

Thank you @flashp

Answer 5

@sugarplum15 anytime