Until 1984 the fingerprint process was the only way to establish and authenticate a person's identification. Since fingerprints are unique, this system was widely accepted as a way of establishing a person's identity. The only problem was that the prints they were using to identify a person had to have been uploaded into the worldwide system that was used for fingerprint identification. If a person's prints were never uploaded, or the body is too decayed to get a good print, this process becomes useless.

Then, in 1984, a way was found to distinguish individuals based upon the composition of their DNA. Since that time, science has made tremendous progress in the extraction of DNA samples from various sources in order to identify human remains through the DNA fingerprinting process.

There are four types of DNA fingerprinting processes that are currently in use. These methods include the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), amplified fragment length polymorphism (AmpFLP), and short tandem repeat (STR) method.

Restriction fragment length polymorphism helps with analysis of the long strands in DNA molecules. In order to take a DNA fingerprint with this method, the DNA obtained is analyzed with a radioactive probe. The RFLP is then used to detect any repeated sequences by quickly locating a specific pattern within the VNTR. This pattern then becomes the person's DNA fingerprint. Unfortunately, this system requires a significant source of DNA to complete the various tests required.

The polymerase chain reaction process requires a much smaller sample of DNA because it creates exact replicas of the DNA in question. This method utilizes the DNA molecules on a sample of lesser size in order for it to be used in identification. The drawback to this process is that as it uses a smaller amount of DNA, it does not provide the exacting results of RFLP.

AmpFLP is popular in smaller countries that are involved in DNA fingerprinting. This process is known for being far less complicated and cost effective than other features. Unfortunately, there are issues of bunching of the VTRN's because of the gel that is used in this process's analysis phase. This can cause misidentifications during the process.

The final process, STR, is the most common form of DNA fingerprinting used today. This process uses areas that have SSR (short sequential repeat) DNA in order to identify a person. The biggest advantage here is the fact that DNA comparisons can be produced that can match almost infinite possibilities.

Today, fingerprinting with DNA is an essential tool not only for identifying bodies, but also for paternity issues and identifying criminals. As forensic science continues to research further uses for DNA testing, more and more uses continue to reveal themselves.