Dna Profiling And The Legal System

Due to the uniqueness of DNA it has become a powerful tool in criminal investigations

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.

No two people, except identical twins, have identical DNA sequences, which makes DNA testing appealing to law enforcement. Two types of DNA testing include short tandem repeat and variable number tandem repeat. Short tandem repeat requires less DNA compared to variable tandem repeat, which is “useful when a sample has been degraded at the crime scene.” (“DNA Evidence”) Whilst DNA evidence is a useful weapon in solving crimes, it is not infallible; therefore, it needs to be used with caution, especially with partial DNA profile,

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.

DNA profiling involves testing mini-satellites one at a time which then goes on to produce an image which is much simpler than genetic fingerprinting. It provides a pattern which is unique to a particular person and is therefore suitable for forensic purposes. (Turnpenny, P et al 2005).

The DNA contains four types base: A (adenine) and T (thymine), G (guanine) and C (cytosine). These four letters make up the genetic alphabet and they spell out the commands for every single cell and organ of the body and also determine all the characteristics of the person.

within it. This packing is now known to be based on minute particles of protein

DNA, Deoxyribonucleic Acid, is the basic structure for all life, it is the blueprint, the instruction manual, on how to build a living organism. DNA is made up of four nitrogen bases, adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine which are connected by sugar-phosphate bonds. Through a process called Protein Synthesis, the nitrogen bases are the code for the creation of amino acids. Essentially, DNA makes amino acids, amino acids make proteins, proteins make organisms. This process has been taking place for much longer than scientists have been able to document. Those scientists are called geneticists and their field is genetics.

The American system of justice is predicated on the search for justice. The emergence of DNA evidence as a source of evidence in this search has become a powerful ally for both the prosecution and defense in criminal trials and there has been no clear cut advantage gained by either side of the equation. The use of DNA evidence, often referred to as DNA profiling, has given police and prosecutors a new, and more reliable, means of identifying criminal but the cost of the procedure, the time involved, and the general unavailability of labs to perform the testing has caused DNA profiling to be used sparingly. On the opposite side of the ledger, DNA profiling has also allowed criminal defense lawyers and defendants to eliminate themselves from suspicion it has also served as a means of exoneration. While DNA profiling has obvious advantages, there remains doubt as to its wide scale use and how it will eventually be used by the criminal justice system. Experts in the field foresee the strong possibility of abuse in the use of DNA evidence and profiling and there are also moral and ethical issues being discussed (Walsh, 2005).

DNA is a long curved structure, made up of pairs of four specific bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine, is the repository of a code from which all of our cells are made. The code is made up of base pairs which look like the

DNA is known as deoxyribonucleic acid, which is a hereditary material that all eukaryotic organisms have. DNA is mostly located in the nucleus of cells but can also be found in mitochondria. The information of DNA is stored as a code made up of four chemicals. Two of these chemicals are purines, the other two pyrimidines. The purines are Adenine and Guanine. The pyrimidines are Thymine and Cytosine and the purines pair with the pyrimidines. Specifically Adenine with Thymine, and Guanine with Cytosine. Every strand of deoxyribonucleic acid uses the same bases, just arranged in different orders. DNA strands are in a shape of a double helix, if you were to get a closer look, you would see nucleotides. A nucleotide are the basic unit of structure for DNA. They consist of a sugar, the base, and phosphate. The phosphate group on the outside,

DNA is found inside the nucleus of cells. It has two complementary, antiparallel strands. The strands contain nucleotides, which each have a phosphoric acid, deoxyribose sugar and a base. There are two groups of bases purine and pyrimidine; adenine and guanine are purine bases, and cytosine and thymine are pyrimidine bases. A purine must pair with a pyrimidine, a purine can’t pair with another purine nor can a pyrimidine pair with another pyrimidine, this is in order to ensure that the ‘rungs in the ladder’ remain the same width. The two strands are bonded together through hydrogen bonds between the corresponding bases; adenine and thymine pair together with two hydrogen bonds, and guanine and cytosine pair together with three hydrogen bonds.

All living organisms, from amoebas to humans, have a molecular code called DNA in their cells, which instruct the activities that keep the organism alive. DNA is made up of long, twisted strands of four molecular “letters” (A, T, G, and C), which pair up according to their complementary base pairs, and their order determines how proteins — the vital molecules that perform all the major tasks in our cells — are made. (Refer to Diagram 1 to help sum up the concept.)

Deoxyribonucleic (DNA) is the molecule that hold the genetic information of living things. In our body every cell contains about 2 meters of DNA. DNA is copied every time a cell divides. Deoxyribonucleic (DNA) is made up of two polynucleotide strands. Polynucleotide strands twist around each other, forming a shape that looks like a ladder called a double helix. The two polynucleotide strands run antiaparallel to each other with nitrogenous bases this means that the stands run in opposite directions, parallel to one another. The DNA molecule consists of two backbones chains of sugars and phosphate groups. The organic bases held together by hydrogen bonds. Although bases bonded together are termed paired

Due to the DNA’s specificity, samples can be utilised for identification. DNA is a nucleic acid composed of deoxyribose sugar bound to a phosphate group and one of four nitrogenous bases (adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine). Each section of these three components are referred to as nucleotides, which are joined to the phosphate or sugar of another nucleotide by strong covalent bonds to form a backbone. The nitrogenous bases are joined to complimentary bases of another nucleotide (adenine with thymine, guanine with cytosine) to create a double stranded molecule (Figure 2). To complete the double helical structure, the molecule coils to compact it’s contents. DNA molecules can contain up to two million base pairs, with a human genome containing approximately 3 million base pairs. The random assortment of nitrogenous bases as well as the numerous mutations within certain DNA sequences, results in genetically diverese DNA molecules and genomes between individials.