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DNA - A Prosecutor’s Practice Notebook Inventory

Degradation

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Photo of example environments in which degradation occurs
National Institute of Justice (NIJ) (see reuse policy).

DNA quantity and quality will determine if a complete DNA profile can be obtained. Successful DNA typing may be dependent on whether the DNA has degraded or not. Degraded DNA evidence is DNA that has begun to break down possibly due to age, environmental factors, or biological processes (for example, decomposition). Due to the sensitivity of DNA typing, full DNA profiles can be developed, despite degradation of the sample.

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