Hair:
Most people believe that hair can be used
as a source of DNA for a paternity test.
This answer is yes and no. If the hair has been
pulled out the roots or follicles will be attached, we
can extract DNA from the roots and use it to determine
paternity.
If the hair is found on
a brush, comb or pillow it will not contain DNA.
This is due to the life cycle of hair. As
the hair ages and prepares to fall out, the nucleus and
DNA contents are degraded. This will make hair
unusable for paternity testing. |