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Gene sequencing and DNA profiling

Sophie.cerys

What's the difference between gene sequencing and DNA profiling?

Reply 1

Jpw1097

Original post by Sophie.cerys

What's the difference between gene sequencing and DNA profiling?

Gene sequencing refers to determining the specific sequence of nucleotides in a particular gene.

DNA profiling refers to identifying individuals based on their DNA - this usually does not involve genome sequencing. There are points within the genome that contain repeats (i.e. microsatellites) such as CAG CAG...etc. The number of repeats varies between individuals, so one person may have 9 repeats while another may have 12 repeats. By looking at the number of repeats across several different repeating regions within the genome, a DNA sample can be matched to an individual.