Significant quantities of DNA can be extracted from the coronal and root portions of tooth, including the root tips. However, the root body is the region that yields maximum quantitiy of DNA. The quality and quantity of DNA extracted from teeth provides a great advantage in forensic DNA analysis. [10]
Teeth is divided into two parts anatomically: i) The crown - which is exposed in the mouth and ii) The roots which are enclosed in the alveolar bone of the jaws.
Tooth roots which are composed of cementum and dentine /pulp have been shown to yield more DNA than the crown that contains dentine/ pulp, and is predominately composed of enamel. Gaytmenn and Sweet had demonstrated that even in vital tooth with intact pulp, the DNA yield from the crown is ten times less than that retrieved from the roots. [10]
Enamel covering the coronal portion of tooth is the hardest tissue in the human body. It is acellular, consists of minerals 96% (by weight) and has no DNA. Enamel provides a physical barrier protecting the cells within the tooth from external environment such as heat, moisture and …show more content…
Pulp is a richly vascularised and innervated connective tissue. It containing numerous cell types viz. odontoblasts (cells that form dentine), fibroblasts, defence cells like macrophages and histocytes, nerve cells, plasma cells, and undifferentiated mesenchymal cells. The odontoblasts are arranged with their cell bodies along the pulp border and their long tissue processes extending through the dentine. The cells that occur in the highest number in pulp tissue are the odontoblasts, which number approximately 11,000 per mm2 and fibroblasts, which is estimated at 1000 per mm2. These serves as a valuable source of DNA required for STR typing. Because of the high cellularity of pulp, it provides the richest source of DNA from teeth. However, pulp may be minimal or even absent in aged and/or diseased teeth.
Teeth is divided into two parts anatomically: i) The crown - which is exposed in the mouth and ii) The roots which are enclosed in the alveolar bone of the jaws.
Tooth roots which are composed of cementum and dentine /pulp have been shown to yield more DNA than the crown that contains dentine/ pulp, and is predominately composed of enamel. Gaytmenn and Sweet had demonstrated that even in vital tooth with intact pulp, the DNA yield from the crown is ten times less than that retrieved from the roots. [10]
Enamel covering the coronal portion of tooth is the hardest tissue in the human body. It is acellular, consists of minerals 96% (by weight) and has no DNA. Enamel provides a physical barrier protecting the cells within the tooth from external environment such as heat, moisture and …show more content…
Pulp is a richly vascularised and innervated connective tissue. It containing numerous cell types viz. odontoblasts (cells that form dentine), fibroblasts, defence cells like macrophages and histocytes, nerve cells, plasma cells, and undifferentiated mesenchymal cells. The odontoblasts are arranged with their cell bodies along the pulp border and their long tissue processes extending through the dentine. The cells that occur in the highest number in pulp tissue are the odontoblasts, which number approximately 11,000 per mm2 and fibroblasts, which is estimated at 1000 per mm2. These serves as a valuable source of DNA required for STR typing. Because of the high cellularity of pulp, it provides the richest source of DNA from teeth. However, pulp may be minimal or even absent in aged and/or diseased teeth.