Essay about Familial DNA Searching - 1415 Words

Nowadays, DNA is a crucial component of a crime scene investigation, used to both to identify perpetrators from crime scenes and to determine a suspect’s guilt or innocence (Butler, 2005). The method of constructing a distinctive â€Å"fingerprint† from an individual’s DNA was first described by Alec Jeffreys in 1985. He discovered regions of repetitions of nucleotides inherent in DNA strands that differed from person to person (now known as variable number of tandem repeats, or VNTRs), and developed a technique to adjust the length variation into a definitive identity marker (Butler, 2005). Since then, DNA fingerprinting has been refined to be an indispensible source of evidence, expanded into multiple methods befitting different types of DNA†¦show more content†¦Each person inherits two copies of these markers from his or her mother and father, so a higher similarity denotes a closer biological relationship. The probability of two samples matching is a round one in a billion (dna.gov). DNA profiles are compiled by using gel or capillary electrophoresis to separate samples into a pattern distinctive of the subject’s DNA based on ionic charge, size, or mobility. Usually, samples in the database are searched at moderate stringency, which requires that all alleles between the two samples match, but the number of alleles can vary, accounting for DNA contamination or degradation. Partial, or candidate, matches are samples that have a similar number of alleles in the forensic profile but are not exact, and are used in familial DNA searching to find close biological relatives of the original forensic profile. Other evidence is used to determine relatives, including Y chromosome analysis, which traces family relationships based on the fact that the Y chromosome is transmitted directly between a father and his sons; age; and geographic location. The process is based on the principle that first-order relatives have closer DNA profiles than unrelated individuals, and also on the sociological assumption that criminal tendencies appear in families; according to â€Å"the Bureau of Justice Statistics Correctional PopulationsShow MoreRelatedForensic Databases Have Grown With Our Advancements In869 Words   |  4 Pagesadvancements in technology that law enforcement uses a forensic DNA database that uses a method called, familial matching. Familial DNA searching looks for partial matches that can not only match the suspect’s DNA, but the suspect’s family line. This is unlike the typical DNA database that law enforcement has used for years. For that DNA database makes an exact match between the suspect of the crime and his or her DNA sample. Familial DNA searches have been found to be beneficial to Police and CriminalRead MoreImagine You Get A Knock On The Door. You Open It, Hesitant,1359 Words   |  6 Pagesarrested for murder; his DNA matched the sample taken from the crime scene. You helped solve a decade-old murder case and turned in your brother simultaneously. This is the result of familial searching. The formal definition of familial searching, according to the National District Attorney Association is: A technique whereby a crime scene profile is deliberately run through the offender databank in the hopes of getting a list of profiles that are genetically similar to the DNA evidence and usingRead MoreCase Analysis : Mary Sullivan s Body1278 Words   |  6 Pagesassault done before Boston killings. Many new methods of DNA analysis have emerged since Jeffrey’s’ work. Using new technologies such as mtDNA testing and familial searching have helped analyze DNA evidence in old cases and have provided answers to questions of guilt and remove lingering doubts of strangler of Boston. The two techniques that opened the door to Mary Sullivan’s killer was mitochondrial DNA and Familial DNA. Mitochondrial DNA tests DNA from the mitochondria of a human cell. Humans inheritRead MoreThe Ethical Issues Surrounding The Forensic Uses Of Dna815 Words   |  4 Pages Over the past several weeks, Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) usage has been the ongoing dialogue. This weeks readings encompasses the ethical issues surrounding the forensic uses of DNA as well as secondary uses of human biological material from mass disasters. DNA is considered an individuals genetic fingerprint, thus it is exclusive to each and every individual. Since this exclusivity exists, DNA is a tool used for identification purposes. It has been utilized for investigations of serious crimesRead MoreDna Testing And The Second Amendment1276 Words   |  6 PagesDNA AS EVIDENCE DNA testing was first used in criminal prosecutions in 1985 and is now admissible in all states. (Hails, 184) Scientific and legal communities seem to universally accept the use of DNA as â€Å"good† evidence. Questions could arise regarding testing procedures. There are several testing methods that have been proven reliable and easily pass general acceptance and scientific validity tests. This is causes number of Daubert cases questioning DNA to decline. â€Å"In most cases, the tests thatRead MoreGenetic Privacy And The Human Genome Project1573 Words   |  7 Pages this issue could be resolved; if all citizens could provide the justice system with samples of their DNA, criminal cases and missing persons cases could be solved at a more efficient rate. Furthermore, if doctors had access to every patient’s genetic information, they could be informed about possible health concerns and family medical history upon a patient’s entry into the hospital. The DNA for a genetic database could be gathered through genetic testing, which would further benefit the patientsRead MoreThe Btk Killer By Dennis Lynn Rader1027 Words   |  5 Pagesauthorities discovered Vicki Wegerle in her home. In 1991, Rader killed his final victim, Dolores Davis (â€Å"Dennis Rader†). BTK had a total of ten victims, most of whom were women. There was a lot of evidence that pointed to Rader as the BTK Killer. DNA from semen, as well as from underneath Vicki Wegerle’s fingernails, matched Dennis Rader. Rader’s writing style matched up to all of the letters and poems that BTK had sent to authorities and local newspapers. The payphone that he used to report aRead MoreWhy It Is Still Considerate As The Gold Standard For Dna Sequencing Essay2106 Words   |  9 PagesThis technique is still very useful overall because of its low error range, and also is the reason why it is still considerate as the Gold standard for DNA sequencing, among other things to validate NGS data (Pareek Smoczynski 2011). Aiming to reduce costs and improve quality and efficiency, the New Generation Sequencers appeared. With the surging of NGS technologies, today it is viable to sequence in a particular subject with a suspected genetic disease or with tendency to that compound diseaseRead MoreAnalysis, Interpretation And Discussion Of Findings Essay1960 Words   |  8 Pagesdetailed and explanatory notes on the Presentation of Findings of the fifty completed Research Questionnaires. The greater part of the sample group believes that DNA profiling is a useful science in crime eradication and medical advancements. This same percentage (94%) of the group also feel as though the public is inadequately educated on DNA and its uses and implications. A little over a half of the sample group is aware of the Human Genome Project, yet 70% of the group would have their genome sequencedRead MoreColorectal Cancer : Cancer And Cancer2998 Words   |  12 Pagesenvironmental factors and genetic component, high fat, low-fiber diet, diet high in red meats, family history of colorectal cancer, male sex, age, alcohol, smoking, obesity, personal history of polyps, hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), familial Adenomatous polyposis, inflammatory bowel disease, and physical inactivity (Cagir, 2015). It is essential to understand the anatomy and physiology of the colon and rectum in order to understand the disease itself and the treatment it depends on