DNA Profiling: Its Uses In Court

DNA Profiling and Its Uses in Court

Stronger evidence in courtrooms-it's what every attorney, defendant, and plaintiff dreams of. Beginning in the last 1980s, this is exactly what began to surface through DNA profiling.

In addition to the one-of-a-kind pattern engraved on our fingers, each of us possesses a unique identifier that is built within our bodies. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the genetic blueprint that determines our biological characteristics. DNA is a long molecule located in almost every cell in the human body. When we are conceived, we inherit half of our DNA from our mother and half from our father. Although every human's DNA is 99.9% identical, the remaining 0.1% is enough to uniquely identify an individual. Our DNA is made up of about 3 billion base pairs, the building blocks of DNA composed mainly of carbon and sugar. The 0.1% (3 million) base pairs that make us unique are what constitute our DNA fingerprint.

Over the past 20 years, courts have been able to rely upon the consistent accuracy of DNA profiling, also known as DNA fingerprinting, to solve crimes. DNA profiling has even been used to solve crimes that are more than 30 years old.

Here's how DNA profiling is done:

  • Specimens are collected from the crime scene. Anything can be used to extract DNA: Hair, blood, bodily fluids, etc. In some cases, victims may have scratched their attackers, in which case skin cells can be extracted from underneath the victim's fingernails in order to identify the criminal

  • The DNA needs to be isolated and cut so that it can be matched against other samples. Special enzymes recognize patterns in the DNA and cut the strand

  • In a process called electrophoresis, the strands are then placed on a gel where they are separated an electric current passed through it.

  • The resulting fragments are compared against samples of all suspects and a match is determined.

    • DNA profiling is mostly used in sexual offences (60%), homicide (20%), assaults (7%), robbery (7%), criminal damage (1%), and other cases (5%).

    DNA profiling narrows the list of suspects that authorities need to work through. The FBI commented that DNA profiling allows them to dismiss one-third of rape suspects because the DNA samples do not match. Authorities recognize the possibility of specimens being planted at crime scenes, and therefore continue to investigate the crime based on motive, weapon, testimony, and other clues in order to more accurately solve the case.

    Tom LeBaron is a marketing representative of DNA Bioscience and Sorenson Genomics. Receive your own free home paternity testing kit, or learn more about DNA profiling.

    In The News:

    pen paper and inkwell


    cat break through


    Issues with Aerial Fire Fighting

    A few years ago I visited the Wyoming Contractor, which... Read More

    Hydro-Mini Tsunami-Perpetual Wave Making Machine

    Let's describe this idea as a Self Generating a Tsunami-Perpetual... Read More

    Stem Cells (The Truth)

    The much publicized stem cell research debate focusing on moral... Read More

    Life Under Mars Ice Shelf?

    When looking for life on Mars we should be thinking... Read More

    DNA Profiling: Its Uses In Court

    DNA Profiling and Its Uses in CourtStronger evidence in courtrooms-it's... Read More

    Remote Control Bacteria; We Can Not Allow That.

    Remote Control Bacteria. Why not, we have remote control everything.... Read More

    The Debate About Cloning

    There are two types of cloning. One involves harvesting stem... Read More

    Static Charge Pulse on Wind Generator Material Memory Blades

    Wind Power is considered a clean industry and is amongst... Read More

    Environmental Eco-Terrorists Must Be Stopped

    Eco-terrorists assume some how they are helping the environment, by... Read More

    Troubleshooting Pump Problems the Easy Way

    In any problem analysis, we have to specify the problem,... Read More

    Cord Blood and Its Uses

    Cord blood is the blood left in the umbilical cord... Read More

    Why Dont Moths Fly to the Moon?

    Surely, in the days before man invented artificial light, moths... Read More

    Embryonic Stem Cell

    Stem cells are primitive undifferentiated cells that have the capability... Read More

    Movin On: Taking Transhumanism in Stride

    Back in the seventies, we watched "The Six Million Dollar... Read More

    Underground Cities, Save the Humans

    Perhaps we should design tunneling robots, which can dig out... Read More

    Increasing Human Brain Power, Concept

    Is it possible to increase the human brainpower? Not just... Read More

    Tunneling Concepts for Advanced Warfare

    I propose research be done to make unmanned tunneling machines... Read More

    What are GE and GMO Crops?

    Genetically Engineered Organisms and Genetically Modified Organisms, with Monsanto Corporation... Read More

    Natural Gas Cost Increases; Want to know more?

    A Thorn in the Side for American Business and Consumers... Read More

    UAV Defense, UAV Recovery, Material Research, Infected Birds with Virus Plastic Net

    When Manufacturing nets of any type: Going for strength and... Read More

    Should We Allow The Genetic Modification of Insects?

    Some scientists argue over creation, intelligent design and evolution. Others... Read More

    Pandemic Crisis Cure Concept

    What happens if the world is faced with a Pandemic,... Read More

    Traffic Zoology

    There is a secret zoo that runs encaged along the... Read More

    Re-Designing the ICBM With The Latest and Greatest Technology

    We propose a Stealth Aircraft or non-stealth composite aircraft to... Read More

    MAVs, UAVs, and Insect Flight Characteristics

    MAVs and UAVs and Insect Flight Characteristics seem to have... Read More

    Locusts To Help Make Energy From Bio Waste, part I

    Plagues of Locusts through out history are well documented. In... Read More

    Preventing Death in a Bio Threat

    In the event of Bio threat how to mobilize Hospitals... Read More

    CCTV Decoy Registration System

    Avoiding cameras? Gotcha, what are you trying to hide from.... Read More

    Lighter Than Air Tubular Flight

    I propose a lighter than air tubular unmanned mini blimp... Read More

    Making a Lightening Storm?

    Here is a very basic concept idea/plan to harvest energy... Read More

    Cold Fusion

    And as I was typing this, I stopped for a... Read More

    Randomness Versus Predetermination

    Science is inherently a series of experiments within closed systems.... Read More

    The Quantum Theory of Holy Languages

    The quantum theory of holy languages (QTHL) encompasses the three... Read More