What is Forensic Science?

Did you know that you leave evidence of your presence everywhere
you go? Forensic science is based on the principle that a person
always brings something to a crime scene and also leaves something
behind. Forensic science uses science to solve legal issues within the
civic and criminal justice systems.
The science that deals with crime investigation, or science that is
applied to law cases, is called forensic science.
Forensic scientists collect physical and chemical evidence from crime
scenes and then analyse the evidence in a laboratory. Some
laboratory tests can be done quickly, but others can take months.
They use principles and techniques from biology, chemistry, physics
and other scientific areas to provide evidence and sometimes even
testify in court. Forensics can involve all kinds of scientists (e.g.,
forensic anthropologists(human), forensic pathologists(disease),
forensic toxicologists(chemical), forensic entomologists(insect)) and
can even be used by archaeologists to learn more about ancient
peoples!

So, if you study forensics, you might use physics for comparing

densities and investigating bullet impact; chemistry for identifying
unknown substances, such as white powder that could be a
drug; biology for identifying blood and DNA; and earth science for
soil evidence.

Forensics is a science that is a lot like a game!  It involves finding

clues, piecing together a puzzle, and solving the mysteries left behind
at a crime scene.  Forensic science includes the preservation and
reconstruction of evidence after time has passed.

One of the oldest forensic science tools is fingerprinting.  In

fact, did you know that every person has a unique set of
fingerprints?  No two fingerprints are alike!  After a crime,
forensic scientists search the crime scene for fingerprints
and compare them to fingerprints of suspects. 
Forensic Science Terms
You may want to become familiar with some important forensics’
terms. Here are some of those terms:
Autopsy: Dissection of a dead body to determine cause and time of
death.
Biometrics: Using unique features of a person to identify that
person. Biometrics include fingerprints, facial features, retinal
patterns, and handwriting.
Chromatography: A method of identifying different inks by the
unique pigment combinations found in inks.
DNA: Basic unit of a person’s genetic information, which is used to
determine a person’s identity.
Dusting: A method used to bring out visible fingerprints, fingerprints
that you can see when left by oily or dirty fingers. 
Facial Recognition: Use of software that creates a map of a face and
then compares to distinct points in its database.
Fingerprint Patterns: Typical patterns, including loops, whorls, and
arches, that help to identify each person’s unique set of fingerprints.
Fuming: A method used to bring out latent fingerprints, fingerprints
that you can’t see but are left by sweat or other bodily evidence.
Identification: Using features of a body (i.e., bones, teeth, scars,
birthmarks, tattoos, and fingerprints) to identify suspects or victims
who have died.
Medical Examiner: The expert that examines the body when a death
is suspicious.
Pathology: The diagnosis of disease and cause of death through
laboratory analysis.
Toxicology: The study of toxins and their effects on the body.
Trace Evidence: Evidence that is left at the scene and provides a
trace of information about who was there. Trace evidence may
include paint chips, hair, gunshot residue, or fibres from clothing or
other fabrics.
Trajectory: The path an object takes as it travels through space.
Ultraviolet Light: Used by forensic scientists to see certain
substances that are not visible without it.