Science, DNA Testing and Modern Crime Solving
Uploaded by spootyhead on Mar 06, 2007
Science, DNA Testing and Modern Crime Solving
After a long day at work, you decide to crash on the couch and watch a little television. After flipping through the channels, you notice the impressive line-up of police, courtroom, and medical dramas. Finally, you settle upon an episode of Law and Order. Tonight’s episode is about a young girl who was raped and murdered. In the end, extensive D.N.A. testing reveals the true killer, and the case is solved. Like many other prime time television series, the characters in Law and Order always manage to crack the code and solve the crime. Unfortunately, the real-life police dramas are not always solved within the hour…but perhaps the director failed to include this information in the script. In many trials, D.N.A. tests are no longer considered substantial evidence. Though many support the use of this specific technology in the courtroom, others doubt the accuracy of D.N.A. testing. As more television series bring attention to the matter, it is evident that the issue is open for debate. Now more than ever, it is necessary for the public and the professionals to research the topic and form an opinion based upon the background of D.N.A. testing, a logical explanation of the testing process, and the advantages and disadvantages of D.N.A. testing.
Before the O.J. Simpson trials and The Clinton hearings, one never would have imagined that a bloody glove and a blue dress could be the key to solving these multi-million dollar investigations. Yet, common items, such as the ones brought into question in both the Simpson and the Clinton cases, have long been used as a tool in fighting crime. Ironically, this system known as D.N.A. fingerprinting was originally developed for a different purpose. In 1985, an English geneticist, Alec Jeffreys, developed the testing to expose the presence of genetic diseases. Over the next three years, while Jeffreys fine-tuned the testing process, he discovered that the same technique could be used to identify criminals and settle paternity suits. As Jeffrey’s D.N.A. test gained more recognition, he patented the technology along with Lister Institute and established Cellmark Diagnostics.
For many people their only exposure to a lab environment came in high school. Consequently, for those of us who found the idea of mixing chemicals and dissecting animals too much to digest, we have respect for the lab technicians who submit themselves to a daily...