31 Deldio, Victorija Evania Lucille A.

Deldio
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DNA profiling (also called DNA typing) is used by forensic biologists to absolutely identify,
track, and prosecute the perpetrators of violent acts from the physical traces left at the crime
scene and by characteristics of DNA.1 IT is the process whereby a string of
deoxyribosenucleic acid (DNA) is extracted from a cell of a specie, undergoes a process that
reveals blueprint of unique identity of an individual.
The seminal development in the early 1980s, DNA profiling were developed from two
independent breakthroughs in molecular biology by Kary Mullis who invented Polymerase
Chain Reaction, it is a technology used to amplify single copy or a few copies of a DNA
across several orders of magnitude, generating millions of copies of a particular DNA
sequence, and by a geneticist in England named Alec Jeffreys who invented DNA
fingerprinting. It became as the indicator for judges and prosecutors as the greatest advance
in crime fighting technology.
According to Locard exchange principle, one of the most fundamental principles in forensic
science, the dust and debris that cover our clothing and bodies are the mute witnesses, sure
and faithful, of all movements and all our encounters. This mean when a person or substance
s/he bound to leave physical traces of his/her presence. The Locard principle denotes forensic
science as the science of discovering associations between samples found at the crime scene
and a reference sample. 2
In legal practice, examination of DNA has two major applications non-criminal and
forensic applications. The main difference between the two is there purpose. Forensic DNA is
to identify whether a crime scene sample matches a DNA sample from the suspect. And for
the non-criminal DNA testing is used to reveal the nature of relationship between two or
more individuals. DNA profiling process is collecting of samples of individuals DNA also
called Reference sample. There are different kinds of analysis for DNA profiling process:

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RFLP analysis, PCR analysis, STR analysis, AmpFLP, DNA family relationship analysis, Ychromosome analysis, Mitochondrial analysis. Restriction fragment length polymorphism
analysis, or RFLP is a technique that breaks DNA sample into pieces and refers to its
difference by restriction enzymes then the resulting fragments are separated by length
through a process known as agarose gel electrophoresis. However, the technique requires
large amount of DNA, and the process of probe labelling, DNA fragmentation,
electrophoresis, blotting, hybridization, washing, and autoradiography is cumbersome and
could take month to finish the whole process. The technique has been supplanted by PCR
analysis. Polymerase chain reaction used to make a single copy or a few copies of a piece of
DNA that undergo a process of DNA melting and enzymatic replication of the DNA. PCR is
commonly used for DNA sequencing, DNA-based phylogeny, functional analysis of genes
and diagnose of malignant disease such as lymphomas and leukemia. But DNA polymerase is
prone to error, which turn causes mutations in the PCR fragments that made.
Microsatellites, also known as simple sequence repeats (SSRs) or short tandem repeats
(STRs) are repeating sequence of 2-5 base pairs of DNA that are used for gene duplication or
deletion, marker assisted selection, and fingerprinting. DNA family relationship and Ychromosome analysis is applied to determine genetic family relationships such as paternity,
maternity, siblingship and other kinships. Mitochondrial DNA is good for tracking ancestry
through females and can be useful for comparison of genetic relationship of individuals
within a species.
DNA analysis was first used for solving the Enderby murder case in 1986. Two schoolgirls
named Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth were raped in year 1983 and 1986 respectively. The
police believe that the same man had committed both crimes because of the similarities of the
evidence and scene. On their investigation, Richard Buckland is the main suspect of the
crime, a young kitchen reporter, and confessed to the raped of Dawn Ashworth. But they had

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a conflict on the results of serological testing of seminal fluid recovered from the first victim
matched from the second one but not on the prime suspect. As an action, they asked for the
helped of Professor Alec Jeffreys, both crime scenes were identical; however they did not
match to Richard Bucklands fingerprints. This shows that without DNA evidence he would
have been convicted as a criminal.
Here are some of the biological materials used for DNA Profiling: Fingerprints, Saliva,
blood, hair strands, semen, and body tissue cells. The most desirable method of collecting a
reference sample is the use of a buccal swab, also known as buccal smear.
DNA Forensic includes the fields of Serology, Anthropology, Botany, Odontology, and
Entomology. Forensic Serology focuses on the bodily fluids such as blood, saliva, and semen
that commonly found at a certain crime scene. The bodily fluids can be classified into
excreted and secreted. It will undergo a process like Kastle-Meyer test and Luminol Test or a
Chemiluminescence test. Forensic Anthropology uses skeletons or the remains of the person
on a crime scene. Skeletons are assessed according to sex, lifestyle, ethnicity, age, or cause of
death/ injury. Forensic Botany that allows to identifies traces that are somehow related to
pollen or spores which is seasonal and geographically specific. Forensic Odontology is a
specialized branch of dentistry that studies the proper handling and examination of orodental
evidence. It main source of evidence are radiographs & photographs, decomposed bodies,
burnt bodies, and bite marks.
References
1 Genetic Witness: Science, Law, and Controversy in the Making DNA Profiling
(Jay Aronson, 2007)
2 Locard Principle

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3 Dealing with DNA Evidence (Semikhodiskii, 2007)

4 DNATechnology in Forensic Science (1992)
5 DNA Fingerprinting (Jeffreys et al., 1992)
6Ancient DNA Typing (Hummel, 2003)
7 Forensic Dentistry
2 Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNA_profiling
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restriction_fragment_length_polymorphism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitochondrial_DNA
http://www.dnaforensics.com/
http://forensicoutreach.com/5-real-life-cases-where-dna-profiling-changed-everything/

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