Hot on the trail

Your genetic makeup has 3.2 million letters in an arrangement that is unique to you. This uniqueness forms your genetic imprint.

Identification

Detectives, customs agents and game wardens use DNA fingerprinting to identify criminals, traffickers and poachers. This fingerprint, which can be obtained from a single hair, allows precise identification of the owner. Often, in the case of a fatal accident, victims can often be identified from their DNA fingerprint.


•	Genetic disorders
•	Cloning and stem cells
•	Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
•	DNA detectives

In this section:


	Jaguar.


	Rhinoceros.


	Elephant mother and baby.

Human History

Genetic imprints are also used to study genealogy and the movement of peoples through the centuries. Anthropologists can study the particular sequence of letters of the mitochondrial DNA that are transmitted from a mother to her children, as well as those of the Y chromosome transmitted from father to son. And then, they can reconstitute a family tree and even trace the origins of the ancestors of all humans.

Do you think that a potential employer might discriminate against you in the future if you refused to take a genetic test or if you had a positive result in such a test?

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