DNA profiling

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/dna-profiling

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the pioneering scientist?Sir Alec Jeffreys developed the first DNA fingerprinting technique in 1984
2. What is the amplification technique?Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is essential for amplifying small DNA samples
3. How do scientists get DNA from a tiny sample?They use a method called PCR that copies even a small amount of DNA so it can be studied and compared.
4. Why is DNA profiling helpful in solving crimes?It can match DNA left at a crime scene to a suspect or prove someone didn’t do it, giving strong evidence.

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA): The complex molecule that carries the genetic information for all known living organisms.
DNA Profiling: A technique that identifies individuals based on their unique patterns of DNA sequences.
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR): A laboratory method that amplifies specific segments of DNA, enabling analysis of minute samples.
Short Tandem Repeats (STRs): Highly variable, repetitive DNA sequences used as markers for individual identification in DNA profiling.