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DNA
typing is probably one of the most important advances in the forensic sciences
in recent years.
What is DNA?
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Deoxyribonucleic
acid (DNA) is the biopolymer responsible for passing on genetic
information and controlling the biochemistry of the body. It is made up of
a sequence of monomers based on just four chemicals; adenine (A), cytosine
(C), guanine and thymine. To
read more about the structure and function of DNA follow these links;
While
most DNA is the same from one person to another, several sections can show
marked variability in the sequence of the monomers. The DNA sequence of a person is therefore individual
and can be shown to be theirs beyond reasonable doubt. |
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First Use of DNA Typing
The first
application of DNA typing to forensic science was by Dr Alec Jeffries (Leicester
University) who was called in by police to apply his new technique of "DNA
fingerprinting" to help solve two murders in Leicestershire.
How is DNA typing carried out?
The first kind of
DNA typing that was applied to forensic work was based on restriction
fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP). More recent methods of DNA typing are
based on the technique of polymerase chain reaction
(PCR). This allows the
amplification of minute amounts of DNA (as small as 1 ng of material) giving
higher sensitivity for DNA typing. DNA typing is now possible from samples
as small as a few cells on the end of a hair that has been pulled out.
Follow these links to find out more
details about DNA typing;
Further Reading
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Richard
Saferstein, DNA: A New Forensic Science Tool in Criminalistics:
An Introduction to Forensic Science (6th Edition), Prentice Hall, Upper
Saddle River, NJ, 1998, pp 402-436.
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Nigel Wilson, The
Analysis of Body Fluids in Peter White (Editor), Crime Scene to Court,
The Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, 1998, pp 289-326.
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Colin Evans,
DNA Typing in The Casebook of Forensic Detection, Wiley,
Chichester, 1996, pp 55-69.
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DNA
links
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