DNAbarcodingul

DNA barcoding is a taxonomic technique that uses a short genetic marker in an organism's DNA to identify it as belonging to a particular species. The standard DNA barcode for animals is a specific region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. For plants, the chloroplast genes rbcL and matK are commonly used, although a combination of other markers is often necessary due to lower variation in these regions. This method relies on the principle that a standardized gene region, present in most multicellular organisms, will evolve at a rate that allows for species discrimination while remaining conserved enough for amplification across diverse taxa.

The process involves extracting DNA from a sample, amplifying the target barcode region using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and then sequencing the amplified DNA. The resulting sequence is then compared to a reference library of known DNA barcodes, such as the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD), to determine the species identification. DNA barcoding has revolutionized species identification, offering a rapid, objective, and often more accurate method than traditional morphology-based approaches, especially for cryptic species or fragmented specimens. It is widely used in biodiversity surveys, conservation efforts, forensic science, and monitoring of invasive species.