U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

Principles of Forensic DNA for Officers of the Court

Base Pairing

Home  |  Glossary  |  Resources  |  Help  |  Contact Us  |  Course Map
 

Blurry photo of people crossing the street with the letters C G A T overtop
National Institute of Justice (NIJ) (see reuse policy).

All of the DNA in a cell is known as the genome. The human genome has approximately 3 billion base pairs. Because there can be trillions of base-pair combinations, scientists can reliably report on DNA analyses. It is the specific order (sequence) of these base pair combinations that determines each person's genetic individuality.

Back Forward