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Discriminating power

Definition

In forensic serology, the proportion of random pairs of individuals expected to differ at a given marker or set of markers. A marker with high discriminating power correctly distinguishes most pairs; a marker with low power gives frequent concordant but uninformative matches.

Related terms

Antigen degradation rate
The rate at which an antigen becomes undetectable on a dried stain, driven by protein denaturation, microbial protease activity, UV exposure, and...
Antithetical antigens
Pairs of antigens where carrying one typically excludes the other on the same protein: C and c, E and e in the...
Glycophorin
A family of heavily sialylated red-cell glycoproteins. Glycophorin A carries M and N antigens; glycophorin B carries S and s antigens. Both...
MNS system
A blood group system comprising M and N antigens on glycophorin A (GYPA) and S and s antigens on glycophorin B (GYPB)....
Rh system
A blood group system defined by antigens on two proteins encoded by the RHD and RHCE genes on chromosome 1. The clinically...

Explained in

  • Rh, MNS, and Other Blood Group SystemsIn forensic serology, the proportion of random pairs of individuals expected to differ at a given marker or set of markers. A marker with high discriminating p...

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