“Traditionally, the term “fingerprint” refers to the patterns, very characteristic of any human individual, of the ridged skin of the distal phalanges of the fingers… “fingerprint” has also been used for the electrophoretic and chromatographic characterization of proteins and, more recently, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules” (2) DNA fingerprinting has become an important part of our criminal system. Being able to show that someone committed a crime using DNA is straight out of a science fiction novel, but today we do it. In order to understand what DNA fingerprinting is, we must first look at what DNA is. DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA is the blueprint for everything that exists in the human body. DNA is a double-stranded or double-helical molecule, which means that it resembles a sort of ladder; it is made up of four nucleotides: adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine. In the molecule, adenine and thymine always combine, as do cytosine and guanine. Looking at human DNA as a whole, most of the DNA is the same, but only about 0.10 percent of the DNA differs from person to person. Let's start by setting the scene of a homicide. Criminal technicians arrive and begin collecting evidence; in the bathroom they find a bloodstain. Then the blood is taken to the laboratory where technicians will examine it. DNA is the blueprint for everything, so it is possible to find DNA in hair, saliva, skin, nails and blood. Once the DNA evidence is collected, it is then sent to the laboratory. This is where the science of DNA fingerprinting begins. Restriction fragment length polymorphism or RFLP was one of the first methods capable of analyzing DNA. Alec Jeffreys developed the RFLP approach in 198...... middle of article...... also. Genetic fingerprinting is now effective in determining parentage. Because DNA is hereditary and highly specific to an individual (except for monozygotic twins), DNA profiles are an excellent way to resolve genealogical problems. With the same example as the paternity testing law, law enforcement agencies are able to use DNA to identify unknown people such as John Does. Other uses of genetic fingerprints are used to understand the history and evolution of the human population (1). Works Cited Krawczak, Michael and J. Schmidtke. Genetic fingerprints. 2nd ed. Oxford, UK: Bios Scientific, 1998. Print.Varsha. “Genetic fingerprinting in the criminal justice system: an overview.” DNA and Cell Biology 25.3 (2006): 181-188. Premier Academic Research. Internet. November 26, 2013. Harris, William. “How DNA Evidence Works.” How things work. Discovery Company, nd Web. November 26. 2013.