DNA Fingerprinting Worksheet

Student Name:
Time Estimate: 45 minutes

Investigative Phenomenon: How do you use evidence and reasoning to make a reliable claim during an investigation?
Examination and Data Collection:
DNA fingerprint (Qualitative Results)
After the electrophoresis gel is dyed and rinsed in the simulation, take a screenshot of the gel showing all DNA
fingerprint patterns and place it here.
Example:

Electrophoresis (Quantitative Results):

A large graph called a standard curve, is at the end of the virtual simulation. A standard curve is a tool that allows forensic
scientists to estimate the size of DNA fragments of unknown samples by comparing them to standards with known DNA
fragment sizes. In the second chart of your worksheet, determine the base pair length for each DNA fragment using the
distance it traveled in the gel. The distances are provided below.
Here's an example of using the standard curve on the graph to determine the base pair length of a fragment.

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 Base-pair curve with arrows showing a point on the curve that indicates 20 mm traveled and 4,000 base pair lengths.

Distance Traveled (mm) BP Length

20 4000

Now, using the distances provided and the standard curve in the simulation (or the one above), find the base-pair lengths
of each fragment and place these values in the chart below. Sample 1 has been completed for you,

Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3 Sample 4 Sample 5

(Blood on floor) (Blood on window) (Lipstick stain) (Blood on sponge) (Tissue)
Distance BP Distance BP Distance BP Distance BP Distance BP
Traveled length Traveled length Traveled length Traveled length Traveled length
(mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm)
2 >100000 3 >100000 5 >100000 3 >100000 3 >100000

3 >100000 8 10000 10 10000 5 >100000 5 >100000

11 10000  19 5000 15 7000 13 9000 13 9000

14 8000  29 2250 17 6000 26 3000 26 3000

25 5000  30 2000 24 3500 27 2500 27 2500

39 1000  35 1500 27 2500 38 1100 38 1100
41 900 39 1000 39 1000
42 800 44 600 44 600

Evidence Analysis:

1. Answer part A and part B questions below.

A. What is the benefit of sketching or providing a screenshot of the DNA fingerprints for qualitative
data?
Easy to visually campare to another DNA sample
B. What is the benefit of gathering quantitative data on the base-pair lengths? Ensures correct data
analysis
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2. Do you think the DNA evidence of this case is strong enough to identify a suspect? Why or why not? Yes
because if someone’s DNA was at the crime scene, that could mean they were there when the crime took
place

3. Describe one struggle a forensic scientist might have when looking at DNA evidence.

If the DNA sample was contaminated it could ruin the entire investigation

Reporting Results:

Make a claim about the electrophoresis results and a possible match to a suspect. Then, provide evidence and
reasoning to support your claim. (Hint: Think about how the results support other evidence collected from the
crime scene.)

Claim: Whoever’s DNA is on the sponge and tissue is a suspect

Evidence from the scene: The DNA from the sponge and tissue are from the same person

Reasoning: Theres blood from more than one person

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