Abstract: Determination of postmortem interval(PMI) is one of the most valuable subjects in forensic practice.It,however,is often very difficult to accurately determine the PMI in daily practice.Forensic DNA technology has recently been used to estimate the PMI.It has certain advantage to traditional methods.This article reviews this technology with respect to its invention,development,advantage,disadvantage,and potential future applications with emphasis on correlation of DNA degradation and PMI.

Key words: postmortem interval, autolysis, DNA degradation, forensic medicine