The process of plant DNA typing is similar to human DNA typing. The scientific analysis is akin to that of nuclear DNA typing and the database developed is analogous to that of the mitochondrial DNA databank. A plant's species must be identified before a DNA profile can be drawn. Using a plant extraction kit, scientists are able to extract DNA from the plant - nuclear, mitochondrial, and chloroplast. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphis (AFLP) are used to gain a DNA profile. As in human DNA analysis, plant typing results are viewed on an electropherogram, where the colored peaks represent the varying genetic regions within the plant. DNA typing in plants can only be utilized in single source samples; scientists cannot yield a profile from a mixture.

Back Forward