Dna News Article Summary

Each human being has something called DNA. DNA is described as genetics and an extremely long macromolecule that is the main component of chromosomes and is the material that transfers genetic characteristics in all life forms. DNA constructs of two nucleotide strands coiled around each other in a ladder like arrangement with the sidepieces composed of alternating phosphate and deoxyribose units and the rungs composed of the purine and pyrimidine bases adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. Each chromosome consist of one continuous thread-like molecule of DNA coiled tightly around proteins and contains a portion of the 6,400,000,000 basepairs that make up your DNA.

Since the beginning of DNA testing in 1985, biological material like skin, hair, semen, or blood has been the most unequivocal physical evidence at a crime scene, especially at a sexual assault scene. DNA has a specific, complex, genetic blueprint that distinguishes each person. Forensic testing can determine if distinctive patterns in the genetic material found at a crime scene matches the DNA in a potential perpetrator with better than 99% accuracy. This can be seen in the case of Tommie Lee Andrews who was the first person to be convicted by DNA evidence in 1987. Also in Seattle with the Green River Killer, Gary Ridgway. He was responsible for murders that took place in the 1980s and '90s.

Marieb stated (435), DNA fingerprinting can prove that a suspect was actually at the scene of a crime and establishes innocence.” Before the evolution of DNA fingerprinting, persecuting attorney and our judicial system depended on many aspects of reliable sources to convict a criminal. They depended on the eyewitnesses who were likely to recant on their statements, tampered evidence, and bias jurors. Presently, DNA fingerprinting have aided in exonerating hundreds of cases including Ray Krone, also known as The Snaggle Tooth Killer. He was exculpated by DNA evidence after he served 10 years and was facing the death penalty for a crime he didn’t commit. He was wrongly convicted of murder and the circumstantial evidence at the time was the bite marks they found on the victim’s body resembled his teeth. DNA revealed Kenneth Phillips was the culprit. He was the 100th inmate vindicated through DNA from death row since 1976. Even though, this is a fascinating process. It is not a perfect system. Similarly, fingerprints were used in the past, yet the current progression speaks for

The guns bullets at Tyrell’s house matched up with the ones at the crime scene.

This paper explores the history and some interesting facts about DNA. The last couple centuries have seen an exponential growth in our knowledge of DNA. The history of the DNA can be traced back to multiple devoted scientist. This article attempts to summarize, and review the basic history of DNA while providing some fascinating information about it.

I. Before the 1980’s, courts relied on testimony and eyewitness accounts as a main source of evidence. Notoriously unreliable, these techniques have since faded away to the stunning reliability of DNA forensics.

CASE STUDY: THE MURDER OF LEANNE TIERNAN IMPORTANCE OF THE CASE- Biggest search in the history. DNA of dog used for the first time in British Criminal Case. When the forensic team examined Leanne’s body further, they also found several strands of dog hair. The hair was sent to scientists in Texas who produced a partial dog DNA profile.

In March of 1985, Bloodsworth was sentenced to death. Through it all Bloodsworth maintained his innocence and in 1993 with the help of a new technique used to test for DNA, Bloodsworth got his chance to prove he was innocent. Bloodsworth became the first person ever to be exonerated from death row by DNA evidence. (Jain, 2001) In one

Because there are many different types of crimes, it is often difficult to find enough physical evidence to convict a person. For example, in rape cases there is usually only a small amount of physical evidence, so cases are based on word alone. Because of DNA testing we can now take samples from the victim and attempt to match the results with those of the suspect. Therefore, DNA is sometimes the only real way of determining the guilt or innocence of a suspect without having any witnesses. Since many rape cases are left unsolved, DNA testing is believed to be the most accurate way of keeping sex offenders off the street. Because of the growing trend of using DNA in rape cases especially, a company in Brooklyn now advertises a small flashlight-like device intended to be used to jab at attackers in order to collect a sample of his skin for later use (Adler). According to a study by Joseph Peterson, with the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Illinois, DNA evidence does not have a major impact on the decision to either convict or acquit

DNA forensics can also narrow down suspect pools, exonerate innocent suspects, and link crimes together if the same DNA is found at both scenes. However, without existing suspects, a DNA profile cannot direct an investigation because current knowledge of genotype-phenotype relation is too vague for DNA phenotyping. For example, a profile from a first time offender that has no match in any database may give the information that the criminal is a left handed male of medium stature with red hair and freckles. It would be impossible to interview every man who fits that description. However, with available suspects, DNA forensics has many advantages over other forms of evidence. One is the longevity of DNA. Although it will deteriorate if exposed to sunlight, it can remain intact for centuries under proper conditions (Sachs, 2004). Because DNA is so durable, investigators can reopen old cases to reexamine evidence.

No suspect was ever positively identified, although police investigated over 200 leads and 40 potential suspects. ‘In August [of the year] 2000, evidence from the case was analyzed using current DNA technology’ (Using DNA to Solve Crimes). ‘Then, in February 2001, the DNA sample was matched to an individual who was already serving a five-year sentence for an unrelated 1997 sexual assault of a child. The man has since been convicted of capital murder and aggravated sexual assault.’ In this criminal case, DNA evidence played an important role. A lady was raped, and just because of a DNA sample the criminalist picked up and carefully studied, the suspect was finally caught. This entire investigation took four years, but that was 15 years ago. Meanwhile, technology has advanced immensely and some cases may not have to take as long as that one did. Although the criminal was caught because of another crime, he was still on the loose after the first. This case is an example of how important DNA evidence can be. Specifically on a rape case, semen residue may play a big role in DNA testing, but if semen residue is not present on the scene, blood DNA evidence is definitely

The article relates to lifespan and the weekly readings because DNA, 23 pairs of chromosomes, and genomes are what we’re created from. From time of conception and during our development these factors determine if we are male or female by X and Y chromosomes, genes determine our hair and eye color and our predisposed risk of mutations mentally or physically. With all the testing during pregnancy such as amniocenteses, maternal blood screening, and ultrasounds we can now see some of these mutations prior to giving birth. The article reveals that at one time it cost millions of dollars as opposed to now or soon it will be a couple thousand to map our past and gain the knowledge of what diseases we are predisposed to such as sickle cell anemia, or certain types of cancer. They have been able to

In the 1930s and 1940s, scientists were determined to identify the fundamental concept whether DNA, RNA, or proteins were the genetic material in organisms, and were leaning towards proteins as they are the most molecularly diverse of the three. At the time, DNA was considered too simple to compose the genetic material as it consisted of only four unique base pairs. These investigations were initiated from research completed by Fred Griffith in 1928, in which he was studying the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae through injections into mice. Griffith sought to use mice as his species for determining the pathogenicity of the bacteria. In Griffith’s experiment, mice were injected with the following samples and recorded pathogenic or

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) has revolutionized forensic science. Of all the disciplines in forensic science, forensic biology has seen the most technological advances in the past thirty years. Forensic biology is a field of study that uses DNA to identify victims and to associate suspects and victims to crime scenes. The large forensic advantage of high copy number and the stability of the mtGenome is a direct consequence of the mitochondrion’s function and evolutionary history. Understanding the necessary functions encoded in its genome enhances our appreciation of molecular genetics of mitochondrial gene variation.

material of some viruses. RNA molecules are like DNA. They have a long chain of