! DNA evidence is very important in criminal investigations. Even though 99.

9 percent of human DNA is exactly the same, a single droplet of blood or a piece of ngernail can convict a criminal (Unknown 2, 2014). DNA evidence is used in criminal investigations and there have been many cases where it has helped solve crimes. This evidence is very important for detectives to use because without it, many criminals could get away with their actions. DNA proling, what detectives can use to nd DNA evidence, and cases where it has helped solve crimes are all ways in which DNA evidence can be used in crime scene investigations. ! ! DNA proling (or genetic ngerprinting) is the process in which you can nd out who the DNA belongs too. There is a lengthy system scientists have to go through to nd out the owner of the DNA. However, this process is extremely important in crime scene investigation. Step one, collect a sample and extract it's DNA. This could be an extremely small amount of DNA. For example, a few cells of saliva on a straw will do. Step two, amplify the telltale regions. Scientists use a powerful technique called Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) to make millions of copies of the samples telltale DNA regions. In particular, they home in on regions known as Short Tandem Repeats, or STRs, which are composed of short units of DNA (four or ve bases long,) that are repeated multiple times in a row. Step three, count the repeats. During PCR, dyes are attached to all the STR copies that get made, one type of dye for each STR region, so that all of the DNA copies from a given region can be distinguished from the others in the mix. Scientists use a special machine to separate the DNA fragments by size. After that, it's pretty easy to calculate the length of each STR unit, and, therefor, the number of repetitive units at each site. Step four, nd a match. To convict a suspect, his or her STR repeats must match those in the crime scene sample at all 13 STR regions. According to the FBI, when all STR sites match up, its pretty much guaranteed youve got your suspect; the odds of ngering the wrong person are not likely (Unknown 2, 2014). This is how they can convict a criminal using DNA. It is very important in crime scene investigation!! ! Detectives can use so many di"erent materials or objects at a crime scene to nd DNA evidence. Since DNA is located throughout your entire

body, any materials left from a suspects body at a crime scene will contain his or her DNA. Some examples of bodily materials that contain DNA evidence include: blood, saliva, perspiration, hair, teeth, mucus, ngernails, and semen. DNA evidence can be found almost anywhere at a crime scene (Unknown 3, 2014). Detectives only need a small amount of DNA to help solve a crime. Some examples of places where DNA evidence may be found include: cigarettes, clothes, stamps, bite marks, weapons, cups, and tissues (Unknown 3, 2014). When detectives collect this evidence, they need to be very careful they don't contaminate the material. Contamination can jeopardize the whole project, it can occur when DNA evidence mixes with another person's DNA. Since every person has unique DNA, the discovery of particular DNA evidence at a crime scene can help law enforcement determine who was involved in the crime (Unknown 3, 2014). ! ! DNA evidence has helped solve many cases in crime scene investigation. Because we are able to nd the owner of certain DNA, so many criminals have been convicted. For example, in 1999, New York authorities linked a man through DNA evidence to at least 22 sexual assaults and robberies that had terrorized the city. In 2002, authorities in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Fort Collins, Colorado, used DNA evidence to link and solve a series of crimes (rapes and a murder) perpetrated by the same individual. In the 2001 Green River killings, DNA evidence provided a major breakthrough in a series of crimes that had remained unsolved for years despite a large law enforcement task force and a $15 million investigation (Unknown 1, 2014). DNA can be used to identify criminals with incredible accuracy. These are some cases in which DNA was able to solve the crime. ! ! DNA evidence is used in criminal investigations and there have been many cases where it has helped solve crimes. DNA proling, what detectives can use to nd DNA evidence, and cases where it has helped solve crimes are all ways in which DNA evidence can be used in crime scene investigations. DNA proling is the process in which you can nd out who the DNA belongs too. This is very important in criminal investigation because you are able to nd out who committed the crime. There are also many ways detectives are able to nd materials at a crime scene to nd DNA evidence. Without the use of DNA evidence, some

horrible crimes the world sees could have never been solved. ! ! !

I got this image from my second source, (Unknown 2, 2014). This gure shows how DNA proling works. You can see the DNA being extracted from the sample as well as the di"erent STR strands. In paragraph number 2, you can see the step by step process scientists go through to nd out who certain DNA belongs too.