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Discriminating Power

Definition

The statistical ability of a typing system to distinguish one individual from another in a given population. Expressed as the probability that two randomly chosen individuals will have different types at the loci tested. Higher discriminating power means fewer people share the same profile.

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)....
P30 (PSA)
Prostate-specific antigen, a glycoprotein secreted by the male prostate gland and present in semen at high concentrations. ELISA or lateral-flow immunochromatographic tests...
Precipitin Test
A serological method in which an antiserum specific to one species' proteins is mixed with an extract of an unknown specimen. Formation...
Random Match Probability (RMP)
The probability that a randomly chosen unrelated person from the relevant population would match the evidence profile by chance. A very small...
Rh System
A blood group system defined by antigens on two proteins encoded by the RHD and RHCE genes on chromosome 1. The clinically...
Secretor Status
A genetic trait that determines whether a person expresses their ABO blood group antigens in secreted body fluids such as saliva, semen,...
Short Tandem Repeat (STR)
Short repetitive DNA sequences scattered throughout the genome, with the number of repeats varying between individuals at each locus. DNA profiling compares...

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