Forensic DNA Flashcards
concerned with the detection, collection and analysis of biological material
Forensic Serology
tests conducted by serologists to establish the possibility that a specific bodily fluid is present
Presumptive tests/Color Tests
serological tests that conclusively identify the identity of a biological material
Confirmatory Tests
ABO BLOOD TYPING
- separates human blood into four broad classifications based on the presence or absence of either or both antigen A or antigen B on the surface of red blood cells
- became a standard in forensic laboratories before the advent of DNA testing especially in paternity cases
Basic Principle of Serology
“For every antigen, there exists a specific antibody”
complex organic compounds found in all living cells except mammalian red blood cells.
NUCLEIC ACIDS
Two kinds of nucleic acids play crucial roles in inheritance:
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
ribonucleic acid (RNA)
where is RNA found
Cytoplasm
DNA is found primarily in the nucleus of cells; hence it is referred to as
nuclear DNA (nDNA)
True or False:
DNA is a polymer
True
a very large molecule made by linking a series of repeating units, or monomers
Polymer
what are the repeating units of DNA called?
Nucleotides
are composed of (1) sugar molecule, (2) a phosphorus atom surrounded by four oxygen atoms, and (3) a nitrogen-containing molecule called a base.
Nucleotides
What is sugar in RNA and DNA?
either ribose in RNA or deoxyribose in DNA
What is sugar?
Pentose
What do the alternating sugar-phosphoric acid units form?
backbone of the nucleic acids
What are the 4 types of bases associated with DNA:
- Adenine (A)
- Guanine (G)
- Cytosine (C)
- Thymine (T) – only present in DNA
found in RNA in place of thymine
Uracil
A and G
purines
C and T
pyrimidines
True or False:
Purines and pyrimidines are bases because their nitrogen atoms can accept protons.
True
True or False: The human genome contains approximately 2 billion base pairs and their sequence regulates the expression of genes.
FALSE: The human genome contains approximately 3 billion base pairs, and their sequence regulates the expression of genes.
DNA Profiling Process
- Proper Collection, Preservation, Tagging, Marking and Packaging of Biological Evidence to be Subjected to DNA testing
- DNA Extraction & Quantitation
- DNA Amplification By Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
- DNA Sequencing
- DNA Profile Interpretation
- DNA Report Writing
