Species Determination by Analysis of the Cytochrome b Gene

Abstract

Samples likely to be used in forensic analysis are often available in minute quantities; for example, one strand of hair. In order to be able to assign a species of origin to this material using molecular-biology techniques, it is necessary to extract the DNA. When the material is limiting, the number of cells present and thus the number of copies of genomic DNA present will be very small. The DNA, depending on the state of the original material, may be degraded, and so the amount and quality of the extracted DNA may be very poor.