After studying this chapter you should be able to:
- Name the parts of a nucleotide and explain how they are linked together to form DNA
- Understand the concept of base pairing as it relates to the double-helix structure of DNA
- Contrast DNA strands that code for the production of proteins with strands that contain repeating base sequences
- Explain the technology of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and how it applies to forensic DNA typing
- Contrast the newest DNA-typing technique, short tandem repeats (STRs), with previous DNA-typing technologies
- Describe the difference between nuclear and mitochondrial DNA
- Understand the use of DNA computerized databases in criminal investigation
- List the necessary procedures for the proper preservation of bloodstained evidence for laboratory DNA analysis
