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Forensic Analysis Of Dna Essay

533 Words3 Pages

Deoxyribonucleic acid was first discovered in 1869. Since then, our knowledge of the importance of DNA has expanded massively. Forensic analysis is one of the many uses of DNA that we have today. It was not until 1986 that this method of finding evidence was first used in courts. This occurred when Alec Jeffreys, a geneticist, was investigating a crime using the DNA of the suspect. Two years prior, Jeffreys had discovered the process of genetic fingerprinting. He did this by using Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism to study the DNA, and with this he realized the similarities of the genetic material between humans, but also how different it is for each individual. The scientific concept behind the forensic analysis of DNA is that no one (with the exception of identical twins) has the same genetic code. Therefore, the guilt or innocence of an individual can be proven by comparing the individual’s DNA to the DNA found in the crime scene. As far as paternity testing goes, the DNA of the child can be compared to his or her mother’s DNA as well as any of the possible fathers’. …show more content…

First, the DNA must be amplified through a process known as Polymerase Chain Reaction. PCR can amplify a small amount of DNA to produce a large amount to work with in just a few hours. The DNA can then be separated through Gel Electrophoresis. The DNA strands must be cut by a restriction enzyme, then loaded into an agarose gel. It is important to know which strand of DNA is whose. An electric current is then sent through the gel, and because DNA has an overall negative charge, the fragments will move towards the now positively charged end of the gel. After the fragments have migrated, it is possible to tell the lengths of the fragments by comparing them to a marker strand.This method can be used to identify an individual and determine whether they were present at a crime

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