Chapter 9 – Forensic Serology

BLOOD
blood

 Refers to a highly
complex mixture of
cells, enzymes,
proteins and inorganic
substances.
Composition of blood
 PLASMA is the fluid portion
of the blood and is
composed of water and
accounts for 55% of blood
content.
 Suspended here are solid
materials consisting of RBC,
WBC and platelets.
COMPOSITION OF BLOOD
 Solid portion of the blood
accounts for 45% of its
content.
 When a blood has the
opportunity to clot, and
allowed to stand for
sometimes a pale yellow
liquid known as SERUM
would be left.
 COMPOSITION OF BLOOD
 Serum contains protein
known as antibodies.
 RBC transport oxygen from
the lungs to all cell in the
body and return carbon
dioxide to the lungs for
expiration.
WBC
 Assists with the defense
against foreign
substances and
infections.
 The nuclei of the WBC
are the sources of DNA in
the blood.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION………
 Volume of the human blood is about 8% of the total body
weight
 Male has 5 Liters of blood
 Female has 4 to 5 liters of blood.
 40% blood loss internally or externally is required to
produce irreversible shock (death)
 Blood loss of 1.5 Liters, internally or externally is required
to cause incapacitation.
 If one takes a sample of blood,
treats it with an agent to prevent
clotting, and spins it in a
centrifuge,
 the red cells settle to the bottom
 the white cells settle on top of
them forming the "buffy coat".
 The fraction occupied by the red
cells is called the hematocrit.
Normally it is approximately 45%.
Values much lower than this are a
sign of anemia
 FORENSIC CHARACTERIZATION OF
BLOODSTAINS
 Criminalist must be prepared o answer the
following questions when examining a dried
blood:
 Is it blood?
 From what specie did the blood come from?
 If the blood is of human origin, how closely
can it be associated to a particular individual?
 IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY OF BLOOD

 As circumstantial or corroborative evidence against

or in favor of the perpetrator of the crime
 Blood typing and DNA examination can be used to
match and compare the parent and the child
 Determination of the origin of blood flow: position
of the stain relative to the explanation of the
suspect
 IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY OF BLOOD

 If blood came from the nose, mucus of hairs from the nostrils
may be present
 Blood from the lungs will show numerous bubbles
 Stomach blood is brownish color due to the action of strong
acid in stomach.
 Blood due to rape contains semen or hairs from the suspect.
 Menstrual blood contains plenty of epithelial cells from the
vagina
 Importance of the Study of Blood

 Determination of the cause of death and the

length of time the victim survived the attack
 Determination of the approximate time the
crime committed using the color and age of
bloodstain.
 Vein blood is darker in color
 Arterial blood is bright red
 Blood clot/drying usually takes from 12 to 36
hours depending on the size of the clot and other
external conditions.
 IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY OF BLOOD
 As the stain continues to dry, the
stain becomes darker in color, until
completely dried with dark brown
appearance. (10 to 12 days old)
 Color change in blood is due to
the conversion of red blood
pigment hemoglobin into
methaaemoglobin and haematin
 BLOOD CHARACTERIZATION/ TEST FOR
BLOOD
CHEMICAL TEST PROCEDURE RESULT

BENZIDINE TEST 3 gtts of intense blue

H2O2+benzidine
reagent
PHENOLPTHALEIN Few gtts of ethanol + Deep pink or the sample
TEST phenolphalein + few will turn violet
gtts of H2O2

LUMINOL TEST Spray reagent and Production of light

ultraviolet light bright blue
(luminescence)
 BLOOD CHARACTERIZATION/ TEST FOR
BLOOD
CHEMICAL TEST PROCEDURE RESULTS
SCHONBEIN’S TEST Tincture of guiac, Blue coloration
turpentine, ether , H2O2
HEMASTIX Test strip used for Filed Color bands are present
test of blood by
moistening w/distilled
water and placed in
contact with blood
After the preliminary examination
or screening test for blood is made
or done, a CONFIRMATORY test
will follow to test whether the
stain is blood
 CONFIRMATORY TEST
CHEMICAL TEST PROCEDURE POSITIVE RESULT

TAKAYAMA TEST Add takayama reagent to Large rhombic with salmon

(test for hemogobin) stain color

TEICHMANN TEST Salt and acetic acid is added Redddish brown rhombic
(Hemin Crystal test) to stain and acid is allowed to crystals
evaporate

ACETONE-HAEMIN Acetone and oxalic acid Small dark dichroic crytals

(Wagenhaar test)
 SPECIES TEST
 The test used when determining whether the
blood is from man or animals
HUMAN BLOOD AND ANIMAL BLOOD
 TEST PROCEDURE RESULT REMARKS

PRECIPITIN TEST Used human blood and Blood Blood stained dried as
rabbit to create sensitized agglutinates long as 10 to 15 years
rabbit serum. This serum will or more may still give
formed a precipitin band on a positive precipitin
the junction between the reaction
serum and the human blood
being tested.
GEL DIFFUSION Using agar subjected to Blood forming
electrical potential lines or bands
of reacted
antigen and
anti body

ELECTROPHORESIS An electrical potential to a

gel medium until antigen
and antibody reacts
 CONFIRMATORY TEST WHETHER A STAIN IS
BLOOD
 MICROSCOPIC EXAMINATION
 CONFIRMATORY TEST WHETHER A STAIN IS
BLOOD
 Spectroscopic method
 COLLECTION, PRESERVATION AND TRANSPORT OF
BLOOD SPECIMEN

 Blood is perishable substance, thus it is essential that proper

collection and preservation were given attention so as not to
destroy the evidence.
 Liquid sample should be place on a sterile container and the
stopper was sealed with a masking tape
 Dried stains in smooth surface should be scrape with a clean knife
or razor blade and place the scrapings in an envelope, pillbox or
folded paper pocket.
COLLECTION, PRESERVATION AND TRANSPORT OF BLOOD
SPECIMEN
 Clothing containing stains should be air dried without sunlight and
wrapped it with paper
 If the blood is in soil, same is applied as in the collection of debris, put
it in a glass container or new paint can and so that it can be maintain
individually, as well as the chain of custody.
 GROUPING TEST BLOOD: BLOOD TYPING
 To det. Human blood group a confirmed
human blood belongs, grouping tests
are conducted.
 These are based on the ability of the
blood serum of one person to clump or
bring together (agglutinate) the RBC of
certain individual.
 This process is called AGGLUTINATION,
which was first observed by Landsteiner
in 1900.
 GROUPING TEST BLOOD: BLOOD TYPING
 It was observed that RBC contain
an ANTIGEN or agglutinogen, (A
and B) and that the serum
contains ANTIBODIES or
agglutinins (anti-A and abnti-B)
 ANTIGENS- substance recognized
by the body to produce an
antibody to react specifically to it.
 ANTIBODY- a protein that
destroys or inactivates specific
antigen
GROUPING TEST BLOOD: BLOOD TYPING
 AGGLUTINATION – clumping
or coagulation of blood
samples that react to specific
anti-serum.

 A-B-O SYSTEM
 Classification of blood based
on the presence or absence
of inherited antigen on the
surface or RBC.
 Group A GROUP B GROUP AB GROUP O

RBC A B AB O
TYPE

ANTIBODIES ANTI B ANTI -A NONE ANTI-A AND

PRESENT ANTI B

ANTIGEN A- B-ANTIGEN A AND B NO

PRESENT ANTIGEN ANTIGENS ANTIGENS
 IN A-B-O BLOOD TYPING
 Two commercially available antiserum are
needed anti-A and anti B
 The blood group disputed Parentage is
another application of grouping test.
 Science has shown that blood group are
hereditary.
 If both parents have Type O their possible
children will have only Type O and their
impossible children will have a blood of
Type A, B and AB.
SEMEN