DNA fingerprinting is a highly sophisticated technique that takes advantage of both the similarities and the differences between individuals’ genetic codes. In order to understand how it works, though, and why it is so effective, you need to know a bit about DNA itself. DNA, short for deoxyribonucleic acid, is often called the “blueprint of life.” That’s because almost every living organism on this planet, whether bacterium, plant, fungus or animal, contains some form of the molecule. The code contained within the DNA determines whether the organism turns out to be a fish or a dandelion, a person or a chimp; it also creates the characteristics that make one individual similar to, but still different from, another.

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