• Question: Apart from DNA and fingerprints, is there any other part of a human that is unique to that person?

    Asked by stephenq to Viv on 12 Mar 2012.
    • Photo: Viv Lyons

      Viv Lyons answered on 12 Mar 2012:

      Hi Stephen

      In answering this question I have to start by considering the word ‘unique’. The databases for both DNA and fingerprints are much smaller than the population of the world and all we can say is that we haven’t found duplicates as yet. Having said that it’s important to note that identical twins have the same DNA, although different fingerprints.
      DNA is in some ways a simpler case because it is either there or not but fingerprints can be measured at different levels of detail, even down to the distribution of the pores in a person’s skin.
      Patterns on people irises and distribution of facial features are also used for identification.
      Viv

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