Autopsy : An examination of a body after death to determine the cause of death or the character and extent of changes produced by disease.
Autosomes : Any chromosome in the body other than the sex chromosomes.
Base Pairs : The sets of hydrogen-linked nucleobases (adenine and thymine or guanine and cytosine), that keep the two strands of DNA together.
Bioinformatics : The collection, classification, storage, and analysis of biochemical and biological information using computer programs
Chromosomes : Thread-like structures found in the nucleus that contain DNA.
DNA : A double helical nucleic acid molecule forming the molecular basis heredity.
DNA Profiling : The process of determining a person’s DNA characteristics which are as unique as fingerprints, hence also called as DNA fingerprinting. The specific DNA pattern developed is called a DNA profile.
Gene: A gene is a sequence of nucleotides in DNA or RNA that codes for a molecule that has a function.
Genome: All the DNA in a cell. The genome comes in the form of 23 pairs of chromosomes
Genotyping: A technology that looks at single bases (adenine, cytosine, thymine, and guanine) in the genome.
Inheritance: Inheritance is the process by which genetic information is passed from parent to child. This is why members of the same family tend to have similar characteristics.
Locus/Loci: A locus is a position on a chromosome, a region of DNA that’s analysed. “Loci” is the plural of “locus.”
Phenotype : Physical characteristics or appearance of a trait.
Variation: A single difference in the DNA between two people. These differences are normal and an important part of what makes every person unique.