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Problems with DNA Fingerprinting
1. Paternity and Maternity
Because a person inherits his or her VNTRs from his or her parents, VNTR
patterns can be used to establish paternity and maternity. The patterns
are so specific that a parental VNTR pattern can be reconstructed even if
only the children's VNTR patterns are known (the more children produced,
the more reliable the reconstruction). Parent-child VNTR pattern
analysis has been used to solve standard father-identification cases as
well as more complicated cases of confirming legal nationality and, in
instances of adoption, biological parenthood.
2. Criminal Identification and Forensics
DNA isolated from blood, hair, skin cells, or other genetic evidence left
at the scene of a crime can be compared, through VNTR patterns, with the
DNA of a criminal suspect to determine guilt or innocence. VNTR patterns
are also useful in establishing the identity of a homicide victim, either
from DNA found as evidence or from the body itself.
3. Personal Identification
The notion of using DNA fingerprints as a sort of genetic bar code to
identify individuals has been discussed, but this is not likely to happen
anytime in the foreseeable future. The technology required to isolate,
keep on file, and then analyze millions of very specified VNTR patterns
is both expensive and impractical. Social security numbers, picture ID,
and other more mundane methods are much more likely to remain the
prevalent ways to establish personal identification.
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Problems with DNA Fingerprinting