Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)

Related terms

ABO Blood Group System

Classification of red blood cells by the presence or absence of A and B antigens on the cell membrane, determined by alleles...

Chain of Custody

The documented chronological record of who collected, handled, transferred, and examined a piece of evidence. For digital evidence, chain of custody includes...

Degradation

The breakdown of DNA by enzymatic, chemical, or physical processes after biological material is deposited. Degradation produces fragmented DNA that may not...

Medullary Index

The ratio of the medulla diameter to the total hair shaft diameter. In companion animal hair identification, a medullary index above 0.5...

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...

Short Tandem Repeat (STR) Profiling

The amplification and typing of microsatellite loci where short DNA sequences are repeated a variable number of times. When applied to canine...

Touch DNA

Minute quantities of epithelial cells transferred by skin contact with a surface, without leaving a visible stain. Collected by swabbing contact points...

Anagen Phase

The actively growing phase of the hair follicle, during which the keratinocyte is in contact with the dermal papilla capillary and incorporates...

Biological Evidence

Any material of biological origin recovered in a forensic context that can yield information relevant to an investigation. Includes blood, semen, saliva,...

Canine STR Multiplex

A validated set of STR loci used to generate a genotypic profile from dog DNA. The International Society for Animal Genetics (ISAG)...

Cementum

A thin, bone-like mineralised tissue that covers the external surface of the tooth root. Deposited incrementally throughout life in alternating translucent and...

Chromatin

The complex of nuclear DNA wound around histone proteins in the nucleus. In forensic DNA extraction, chromatin must be disrupted to release...

Explained in these topics

• Blood as Biological EvidenceCircular DNA located in mitochondria outside the cell nucleus. Each cell contains hundreds to thousands of mitochondria, so mtDNA copy number far exceeds nucle...
• Cell Structure and Organelles for Forensic ScientistsA circular, double-stranded DNA molecule of about 16,569 base pairs located in the mitochondrial matrix. Present in hundreds to thousands of copies per cell. M...
• Companion Animal and Veterinary Forensic BiologyDNA located in mitochondria rather than the cell nucleus. Present in thousands of copies per cell, making it recoverable from degraded or trace samples such as...
• Dental DNA, Tooth Sampling and Molecular IdentificationDNA located in mitochondria rather than the cell nucleus, present in hundreds to thousands of copies per cell. Because it is maternally inherited and high-copy...
• Hair as a Source of DNA and Toxicological InformationCircular DNA located in the mitochondria rather than the nucleus. It is maternally inherited, present in hundreds of copies per cell, and found throughout the...
• Hair Examination and MicroscopyDNA located in the mitochondria rather than the cell nucleus. Inherited maternally and present in many copies per cell, making it recoverable from hair shafts...
• History and Development of Forensic BiologyDNA contained in mitochondria rather than the cell nucleus. Present in hundreds to thousands of copies per cell, making it recoverable from highly degraded mat...
• The Scope of Biological Evidence in Forensic ScienceDNA carried in the mitochondria rather than the nucleus. Present in hundreds to thousands of copies per cell. Maternally inherited and therefore shared by all...
• Wildlife Crime and Biological EvidenceDNA located in mitochondria rather than the cell nucleus. Present in hundreds to thousands of copies per cell, making it recoverable from highly degraded sampl...