Several DNA markers have been developed since RFLP technology was invented in 1974. Among them, five techniques in generating these markers are briefly compared in the review. They include RFLP, DNA Fingerprinting, RAPD, SSR markers, AFLP and analysis of rDNA spacer regions. The application of DNA techniques in studying Chinese medicinal plants was begun in 1994 and is so far focused on authentication and classification. The potential use of these techniques in biodiversity conservation, tracing the source ...