Asked by CHRIS

How is mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) typing used in forensic science?
A suspect’s mtDNA sample is matched to an unknown sample of nuclear DNA that was found at a crime scene.
A suspect’s mtDNA sample is matched to an unknown sample of mtDNA that was found at a crime scene.
A suspect’s nuclear DNA sample is matched to an unknown sample of nuclear DNA that was found at a crime scene.
A suspect’s nuclear DNA sample is matched to an unknown sample of mtDNA that was found at a crime scene

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
A suspect’s mtDNA sample is matched to an unknown sample of mtDNA that was found at a crime scene.

Brief explanation: mtDNA typing compares mitochondrial sequences (not nuclear DNA) and is used when nuclear DNA is degraded or absent (e.g., hair shafts, old bones, teeth). It has high copy number per cell and is maternally inherited, so it can link samples to a maternal lineage but has lower individual discrimination (maternal relatives share the same mtDNA).