How can you determine if an individual is genetically related to a parent using DNA fingerprinting?

Using DNA fingerprinting, the determination of genetic relatedness between an individual and a parent is based on the presence of shared bands in their DNA profiles. Each band represents a specific DNA fragment, which can be thought of as a marker for genetic traits.

When assessing whether an individual is related to a parent, you look for corresponding bands in the DNA of both the child and the parent. If each band from the child has a corresponding band in at least one of the parents’ DNA profile, it indicates that the child has inherited those genetic markers from the parent. This method relies on the principle that offspring inherit their genetic material from their parents, so there should be some overlap in the bands.

In contrast, matching all bands or having no missing bands is not a definitive criterion for relatedness, as it does not account for the complex inheritance patterns that can occur. A parent having more bands than the child can suggest differences in genetic makeup but does not provide conclusive evidence of a relationship. The emphasis on corresponding bands highlights the direct genetic connection that is central to parent-child relationships.