Fig 2-1.4.3 : Cleaving a DNA sequence by a restriction enzyme creates a specific pattern. Cleaving a single piece of DNA with multiple restriction enzymes creates a "DNA fingerprint." The pattern of fragments can be compared to similar DNA from another source treated with the same enzymes, to determine if the two are identical or different.

2-1.5 Cleavage Patterns of Some Common Restriction Endonucleases:

The recognition and cleavage sites and cleavage patterns of HindIII, SmaI, EcoRI , and BamHI are shown. Cleavage by an endonuclease creates DNA sequence with either a sticky end or blunt end. The blunt ended fragments can be joined to any other DNA fragment with blunt ends using linkers/adapters, making these enzymes useful for certain types of DNA cloning experiments.

Fig 2-1.5: Cleavage patterns of HindIII, SmaI, EcoRI and BamHI