Mitochondrial DNA Analysis

Mitochondrial DNA analysis works well on samples that are unable to be analysed through RFLP or STR analysis. There are two kinds of DNA in the cell - mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA. With other types of analysis, nuclear DNA is removed from the sample but with mitochondrial DNA analysis, DNA is removed from the cell's mitochondria. Sometimes, a sample can be old and will no longer have nuclear material in the cell, which poses a problem for the other types of DNA analysis. With mitochondrial DNA analysis, however, mitochondrial DNA can be removed, thus having important ramifications for cases that were not solved over many years. This means that mitochondrial DNA analysis can be very valuable in investigations for a missing person. Mitochondrial DNA will be the same from a woman to her daughter because it is passed on from the egg cell.