Problem
Policemen in molecular era collect what is called "touch DNA" from crime scenes. Now, swab of cotton that can retrieve seven to eight cells from a cime scene is enough to collect evidence nailing suspects. Forensic experts use a chemical molecular technique to make copies of 13 locations on the collected DNA. The chance of two people having the same molecular signatures in the 13 locations is vanishingly small.
i. Can you describe the molecular chemical reaction used by the forensic DNA experts?
ii. What are the "13 locations" in molecular terms that are nailing the suspects?
iii. What important molecular phenomenon causes individual genomes to show such etensive variation?
iv. How is the technique used by these molecular detectives helping treat dreaded diseases such as cancer?