DNA barcode
Definition
A short, standardised sequence from a defined locus used to identify a specimen to species by comparison against a curated reference library. Analogous to a retail barcode but based on nucleotide sequence rather than printed lines.
Related terms
- BOLD Systems
- Barcode of Life Data System (University of Guelph, Canada). Holds over 9 million COI reference barcodes linked to voucher specimens, with mandatory...
- COI (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I)
- The 648 bp mitochondrial gene region proposed by Paul Hebert in 2003 as the universal barcode locus. Its combination of interspecific variation...
- ElePhant database
- A curated STR reference database for African savanna and forest elephants and Asian elephants, used to assign ivory to individual animals or...
- Minibarcode
- A 100-200 bp sub-region of the COI locus amplified when DNA is too degraded for the full 648 bp amplicon. Shorter target...
- STR (short tandem repeat)
- A genomic locus where a 2, 7 base-pair unit is repeated in tandem a variable number of times between individuals. The variation...
Explained in
- DNA Barcoding, STR Profiling, and Individual IdentificationA short, standardised sequence from a defined locus used to identify a specimen to species by comparison against a curated reference library. Analogous to a re...