DNA Detective: Reuniting Families with DNA Fingerprinting and Electrophoresis
Introduction Step into the shoes of a DNA detective! In this hands-on experiment, you’ll use DNA fingerprinting and electrophoresis to help two boys uncover their true parentage and reunite with their family. Background Information DNA fingerprinting has become a crucial tool in forensic science, helping to reunite families, resolve historical mysteries, and even solve crimes. This technique can be used in cases of adoption, immigration, and when families are separated due to unexpected circumstances such as natural disasters or conflicts. SCENARIO In a time of great upheaval, two young boys were separated from their families and taken in by a kind guardian who raised them as brothers. Though they always suspected they might not be biologically related, they had no way to prove it—until they turned 18. Eager to uncover the truth about their past, the boys searched for records at the orphanage where they had once lived. There, they discovered documents suggesting that they were not actually brothers, but cousins. Their mothers were half-sisters, sharing the same mother but different fathers. However, the documents provided little information about what had happened to their parents.
Grandma
Grandma's Second Husband
Grandma's First Husband
Mother 2
Mother 1
Father 1
Father 2
Boy Cousins
Child
Child
Figure 1: Pedigree of the Boys in Question
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