Semen

By Angel Chavez & Ruben Medina

Forensic Science is the scientific method of gathering and examining information about
the past which is then used in a court of law. Semen is used to find the perpetrator if a crime
was committed such as rape. Semen is a grayish white bodily fluid that is secreted by the
gonads of males. It carries sperm or the spermatozoa and fructose and other enzymes that help
the sperm to survive, to fertilize the egg of a female. (Most incriminating types of Evidence)
The whitish opalescence is due to the large amount of protein that it contains. Its slightly turbid
appearance is due to the spermatozoa contained in it.
Seminal stains are often, but not always, found on clothing, blankets, and sheets. Allow
any stains to air dry, wrap in paper, and package evidence in paper bags. Absolutely do not use
plastic bags. For sex offense cases, the victim should always be examined by a physician. A
sexual assault evidence collection kit is used to collect evidence from the victim. It is very
important that the instructions on the kit be followed with care in order to gain the greatest
benefit from the collected evidence. Label all garments such as undershorts, underwear, or
other things. Package each garment separately. If damp, allow fabric to dry before packaging.
Handle fabrics as little as possible. UV lights work best on bodily fluids, but the blue light often
produces good results. It helps on cases that have been held for years, before we could use it.

UV Light

Blue Light

Some rape and homicide cases will not be solved in years, but some can be solved
quickly. Rape evidence is kept for years. It is always bagged, tagged, stored, and photographed
and entered in databases. If the suspects werent caught right away, then the evidence is still
there, waiting in storage to be matched to other evidence that pops up in later crimes. On a dry
surface, such as clothing or bedding. Sperm are dead by the time the semen has dried. In water,
such as warm bath or hot tub, sperm will likely live longer because they thrive in warm, wet
environments.
DNA is found in sperm, not semen. If an individual is vasectomized (producing no
sperm), DNA will only be available from the epithelial cells shed during ejaculation. The success
rate of a DNA extraction from a stain containing semen from a vasectomized individual is
greatly reduced but is still possible.
Let us assume that a mans semen is alleged to be on a piece of fabric. To learn whether
the cloth is stained by the suspects semen, DNA testing can be done. Heres how it works:

1. First, it must be shown that the stain contains semen. Semen glows under UV
light and also changes color when exposed to specific chemicals.
2. If these tests are positive, the lab technicians cut a swatch of the fabric from the
stain and dissolve the organic matter in the stain by putting swatch in a special
solution.
3. The technicians look for sperm cells in the solution with an ordinary lowpowered light microscope. The sperm look like little lifeless tadpoles.
4. If there is visible sperm under the microscope, the techs next extract is from the
semen. This is done with a mild detergent that bursts non-sperm cells. A rinse
with water removes broken cells. Then a stronger detergent is used to burst the
sperm and recover their DNA
5. The lab then compares the DNA from the semen with the suspects DNA. A blood
or saliva sample from the suspect will supply enough DNA for the comparison.
6. If the stain is small and the amount of DNA minute, a method based on the
polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, is employed to make millions of copies
selected segments of the DNA. Note that PCR does not change the DNA but
merely amplifies the amount.
7. The DNA from the semen is then compared with the suspects. This can be done
using what are called restriction fragment length polymorphisms, or RFLPs. To
examine RFLPs, the DNA from the sample is cut (restricted) by special enzymes.
These restriction enzymes cut different DNAs differently. If the restriction

enzymes cuts the suspects sample into the same number of fragments of the
same length, then the semen may be the suspects.
8. The odds that the DNA in semen is the suspects is then calculated. The odds
may, for example be one in a million that the DNA in the semen came from
another man, not the suspect.
Semen can be found in a crime scene to help identify a suspect. There are two different
ways to collect semen. You also use them to help find DNA. They are found on objects in a
crime scene including on the body. So if you rape someone, be careful because we will find the
semen you leave, and we will catch you.

References
Health AZ List. n.d. 6 4 2015. <http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/hp.asp>.
Most incriminating types of Evidence. n.d. 6 4 2015.
<http://www.criminaljusticedegreesguide.com/features/10-most-incriminating-types-ofevidence.html>.