- Genomes - the basics
- Genomes - in detail
- Pharmacogenomics
- Direct-to-consumer testing
- UK National DNA database
- Personal genome sequencing
- Genomic disorders
- Evolution of Brain, Behaviour & Intelligence
A DNA profile is made up of a unique series of numbers, plus a male or female indicator. It is produced by counting the number of short repeating sequences of DNA code found at ten specific regions, or microsatellites, of the genome.
The number of repeats found at each microsatellite varies greatly between individuals. This makes it statistically unlikely that any two people will have the same profile - except for identical twins.
The position of the peak corresponds to the number of DNA repeats. There are two peaks for every microsatellite - one from each parent. Numbers are used to summarise the peaks producing a digital format which is stored on the NDNAD
