The wikipedia article on red blood cells says that they don’t contain DNA:
Because of the lack of nuclei and organelles, mature red blood cells do not contain DNA and cannot synthesize any RNA (although it does contain RNAs),[57][58] and consequently cannot divide and have limited repair capabilities.[59]
But I thought blood samples are one of the means to conduct dna tests at crime scenes?
What am I missing?
Blood contains other cells in addition to red blood cells, such as white cells, which do contain DNA.
It is in the blood plasma, not in the red cells themselves.
That white blood cells do contain DNA; that may be what is used for such tests.
Neoteryx, a company that sells blood sampling equipment, says
DNA can be extracted from various blood components, with white blood cells (WBCs) being the primary source due to their high nuclear DNA content. Unlike red blood cells, which lack nuclei, WBCs contain intact genetic material, making them ideal for DNA-based studies. Plasma and serum can also contain cell-free DNA (cfDNA) , which is particularly valuable in non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), cancer research, and infectious disease studies.
Thank you all.
As Dickens says, “We must have blood, you know.”
But as Portia said, “not one drop…”