Golden-Dolan Joseph S.

Golden-Dolan Chemistry 1010 December 9, 2013

E-portfolio Assignment: Chemistry in Forensics

Most likely everyone has seen a crime drama in a movie or television show that utilizes forensic science to solve the crime. Sadly most of this type of programming doesnt focus on the painstaking work put forth by the forensic scientist, but rather it skips to the eureka moment when the investigator links the key piece of evidence to the criminal. This is a shame because while the work itself may not seem outwardly glamorous, its use of chemistry and biochemistry can be both rewarding and intriguing to those who work in this field. Chemistry comes into play in forensic science largely when a substance that was secured from a crime scene needs to be identified. These substances can range from organic to inorganic and can include everything from fibers, paint chips, cleaner residue, and even blood. Chemistry is used to break down these unknown artifacts into their chemical composition. From this one can determine if the clothing fibers are natural or synthetic. They could differentiate the paint chips as being latex house paint or car enamel. They could discover whether the crime scene was recently scoured with bleach or ammonia. And the forensic scientist could easily tell if the strange spot on the crime scene rug was paint or human blood. Biochemistry takes forensic science even further by looking at organic substances and tying them back to victims and perpetrators. Tests performed by the forensic scientist can reveal the

Golden-Dolan 2 blood alcohol level of a deceased driver. They can test for organic residue on weapons to reveal previously unseen fingerprints. But the keystone of forensics biochemistry, and its most prominent tactic in the mind of the public, would have to be DNA testing. The reason DNA testing has come to the forefront in the fight against crime is due to the fact that we as humans cannot help but leave traces of DNA no matter where we go. Skin cells, discarded hair fibers, blood, saliva and other bodily fluids all contain traces of our individual DNA. Thus when a criminal commits a crime, the odds are very high that he/she will leave some form of genetic fingerprint at the crime scene. While it is up to the investigators to collect these samples, it falls to the forensics scientist to analyze the evidence. Forensic science has evolved much over the past century and, as a result, many more criminals are being prosecuted for their crimes than ever before. It has become a boon to peaceful, law-abiding citizens everywhere, and we have chemistry to thank for that.