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What is mitochondrial DNA and how it is used in DNA forensics?

April 26, 2017dna forensics mitochondrial Used

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What is mitochondrial DNA and how it is used in DNA forensics?

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Most DNA forensic work uses genomic DNA: the genetic material within the nucleus of the cell. Mitochondria are organelles (an intracellular compartment) that contain a small, circular genome that can also be used for genetic identification testing. The methods and analysis of mitochondrial DNA are fundamentally different from genomic analysis: sequence vs. allele based, maternally inherited vs. Mendelian. Mitochondrial DNA analysis is used particularly on old or degraded samples where STR analysis is likely to fail.