Genetic variation and DNA markers in forensic analysis

Abstract

In this review, we highlighted the DNA markers and their applications in forensic medicine which included the study of genetic variation or polymorphism, markers for genetic variation, types of variation, diallelic polymorphisms (SNPs and Indels), haplotypes, autosomal short tandem repeat (STRs), Y-chromosome short tandem repeat (Y-STRs) and Y chromosome. This is a useful tool for tracing human evolution, analysis of Y-chromosomal microsatellite haplotypes in globally human populations, organization of the human mitochondrial genome, and mitochondrial coding region as a source for variability and interpretation of sequence data. The light has been focused and directed in this study to establish the basic forensic genetic information, knowledge, data and statistics which might be so ultimately helpful practically in forensic science and criminology and to let evaluate and present the DNA weight evidences in medico-legal institute and courts of law.

Keyword: Applications, DNA markers, forensic, genetic variation, review

African Journal of Biotechnology, Vol 13(31), 3122-3136