● The technique of `color{Violet}"DNA Fingerprinting"` was initially developed by `color{Brown"Alec Jeffreys"`.

● He used a `color{Violet}"satellite DNA"` as `color{Violet}"probe"` that shows very `color{Violet}"high degree of polymorphism"`.

● It was called as `color{Violet}"Variable Number of Tandem Repeats"` (`color{Violet}"VNTR"`).

● The technique, as used earlier, involved `color{Violet}"Southern blot hybridisation"` using `color{Violet}"radiolabelled VNTR"` as a probe.

● It included

(i) `color{Violet}"Isolation"` of DNA

(ii) `color{Violet}"Digestion of DNA"` by restriction endonucleases

(iii) `color{Violet}"Separation"` of DNA fragments by `color{Violet}"electrophoresis"`

(iv)`color{Violet}"Transferring"` (`color{Violet}"blotting"`) of separated DNA fragment fragments to `color{Violet}"synthetic membranes"`, such as `color{Violet}"nitrocellulose or nylon"`

(v) `color{Violet}"Hybridisation"` using labelled `color{Violet}"VNTR probe"`

(vi) `color{Violet}"Detection"` of hybridised DNA fragments by `color{Violet}"autoradiography"`

● The `color{Violet}"VNTR"` belongs to a class of satellite DNA referred to as `color{Violet}"mini-satellite"`.

● A `color{Violet}"small DNA sequence"` is `color{Violet}"arranged tandemly"` in many `color{Violet}"copy numbers"`.

● The copy number varies from `color{Violet}"chromosome to chromosome"` in an individual.

● The numbers of repeat show very `color{Violet}"high degree of polymorphism"`.

● As a result the size of VNTR varies in size from `color{Violet}"0.1 to 20 kb"`.

● Consequently, after `color{Violet}"hybridisation with VNTR"` probe, the autoradiogram gives many `color{Violet}"bands of differing sizes"`.

● These bands give a `color{Violet}"characteristic pattern"` for an individual DNA.

● It differs from `color{Violet}"individual to individual"` in a population except in the case of `color{Violet}"monozygotic"` (identical) `color{Violet}"twins"`.



● The `color{Violet}"sensitivity"` of the technique has been increased by use of `color{Violet}"polymerase chain reaction"`.

● Consequently, DNA from a `color{Violet}"single cell"` is enough to perform `color{Violet}"DNA fingerprinting analysis"`.

● In addition to application in `color{Violet}"forensic science"`, it has much wider application, such as in `color{Violet}"determining population"` and `color{Violet}"genetic diversities"`.

● Currently, many `color{Violet}"different probes"` are used to generate DNA fingerprints.