| A | B |
|---|
| allele | an alternate form of a gene; for example, a gene for human hair color may have alleles that cause red or brown hair |
| chromosome | a cell structure that contains genetic information along strands of DNA |
| DNA fingerprint | pattern of DNA fragments obtained by examining a person's unique sequence of DNA base pairs (also called DNA profiling) |
| DNA probe | a molecule labeled with a radioactive isotope, dye, or enzyme that is used to locate a particular sequence or gene on a DNA molecule |
| electrophoresis | a method of separating molecules, such as DNA, according to their size and electrical charge using an electric current passed through a gel containing the samples |
| gene | segment of DNA in a chromosome that contains information used to produce a protein or an RNA molecule |
| PCR | polymerase chain reaction is a method used to rapidly make multiple copies of a specific segment of DNA; can be used to make millions of copies of DNA from a very small amount of DNA |
| restriction enzyme | a molecule that cuts a DNA molecule at a specific, base sequence |
| STR | short tandem repeats are short DNA sequences (2-5 base pairs) with varying numbers of repeats found among individuals |
| VNTR | variable number tandem repeats are short DNA sequences (9-80 base pairs) with varying numbers of repeats among individuals |
