Genome mapping is the creation of a genetic map assigning DNA fragments to chromosomes.
When a genome is first investigated, this map is non existent. The map improves with the scientific progress and is perfect when the genomic DNA sequencingof the species has been completed. During this process, and for the
investigation of differences in strain, the fragments are identified by
small tags. These may be genetic markers (PCR products) or the unique sequence-dependent pattern of DNA-cutting enzymes. The ordering is derived from genetic observations (recombinant frequency)
for these markers or in the second case from a computational
integration of the fingerprinting data. The term "mapping" is used in
two different but related contexts.