DNA is ___ to each of us - Answers unique
_____ often helps identify suspects when other lines of evidence
have gone cold. - Answers the science of forensic DNA profiling
DNA limitations - Answers 1. it might be undetectable, overlooked, or found in such minute traces as to
make
interpretation difficult. 2. Its analysis is subject to error and bias. 3. Additionally, DNA
profiles can be misinterpreted, and their importance exaggerated
Even if DNA
is detected at a crime scene - Answers this doesn't establish guilt. Accordingly, DNA needs to be viewed
within a framework of other evidence, rather than as a standalone
answer to solving crime
Adam Scott - Answers was arrested
and charged with raping a woman
in Manchester, UK; was false charge and identification (disposable plastic plate with Mr. Scotts DNA
used to analyse this sample had been inadvertently reused in the rape case)
"It is estimated that the chance of obtaining matching DNA
components if the DNA came from someone else unrelated
to Adam Scott is approximately ____ " - Answers 1 in a billion
DNA ___ be used as the sole evidence
in a criminal case - Answers should not
There is a considerable___ if the importance
of the DNA evidence is inappropriately afforded
greater weight than other evidence - Answers danger
confirmation bias - Answers where inconvenient
information to the
prosecution is ignored
, or dismissed. (ex: Mr. Scott's case:. The scientist
assumed that because
sperm was recovered,
all of the male DNA must
have come from the sperm
(when in fact Mr Scott's
DNA was a spit sample))
although 99.9% of our DNA
is identical to that of other humans - Answers It is the remaining 0.1% that marks us out as
individuals, and is therefore of primary interest to forensic geneticists: They can use
it to generate a DNA profile from human biological material at a crime scene, This
can be compared with reference DNA from a named suspect, and a probability that
the suspect contributed it can be calculated.
The same DNA sequence - Answers is present in every cell of your body (apart from red
blood cells), and because you're constantly shedding cells into your environment,
this means you leave a trail of DNA behind you
Size of DNA needed for identification - Answers In the early days, you would
have needed a reasonably fresh sample of blood or semen about the size of a
British 5 pence piece or European 1 cent coin to generate a DNA profile
6; today
a profile can be generated from just 50 picograms of DNA (the amount contained
in roughly 8 human cells). Such traces are invisible to the naked eye
DNA can be detected and analysed using a number of different forensic techniques,
each of which target different parts of DNA - Answers STR profiling (the most
common sort of DNA profiling), target the nuclear DNA in our chromosomes; other techniques target
the small circles of DNA found in cellular energy