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Articles » DNA Profiling
How accurate is DNA identification?
Jason Yuan

DNA identification is now commonly used in many forensic-related cases that require identifying individuals. DNA identification is made possible due to the very fact that portions of the DNA sequence vary among humans. In DNA, matches are found based on sequence or on numbers of small repeating units of DNA sequence at a number of different locations on the person’s genome. One or two aren’t quite enough to be completely accurate and for the investigator to be confident the suspect is fully identified. Usually four or sometimes five are used and a match at all five is enough for a person to be identified completely and accurately. After five matches are found it is known “beyond a reasonable doubt” that the right person was identified.
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