Forensics science do not have good prospective for job purpose as oppertunities are very

few in this field. Employment with law enforcement agencies, police, legal system and in
the investigative services of the government and also private agencies, work as teachers
in institutes that conduct courses in this subject.

In Forensic Science Studies, you will gain first-hand experience investigating simulated
crime scenes and collecting evidence. You will learn about the biological, chemical and
physical aspects of forensic science – for example, analyzing and examining DNA, trace
chemical evidence and firearm markings. Proper scientific methodology will be
emphasized as you learn the latest investigative techniques to collect, manage and
examine evidence on site and in the lab.

Depending on where you are in your career path, you can either pursue a credential or
take individual courses for professional development purposes.
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Definition of Forensic Science 1

Forensic science is the application of natural sciences to matters of the law. In

practice, forensic science draws upon physics, chemistry, biology, and other scientific
principles and methods. Forensic science is concerned with the recognition,
identification, individualization, and evaluation of physical evidence. Forensic
scientists present their findings as expert witnesses in the court of law.

(Midwest Forensics Resource Center at the U.S. Dept. of Energy)

Definition of Forensic Science 2

The word “forensic” means “pertaining to the law”; forensic science resolves legal
issues by applying scientific principles to them.

(Hall Dillon, Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Definition of Forensic Science 3

Forensic Science is the application of the methods and techniques of the basic
sciences to legal issues. As you can imagine Forensic Science is a very broad field of
study. Crime Laboratory Scientists, sometimes called Forensic Scientists or, more
properly, Criminalists, work with physical evidence collected at scenes of crimes.

(California Criminalistics Institute)

Definition of Forensic Science 4

Forensic science is the scientific analysis and documentation of evidence suitable for
legal proceedings. Many people have heard the term “forensics” used to describe
school debate clubs. There is a similarity between these two forms of the word. In
academic forensics, political or other issues are debated between two teams using a
logical approach, and likewise in forensic science the debate (or comparison) is
between the physical evidence and the known or suspected circumstances about an
event.

Forensic scientists determine scientific facts from the evidence they evaluate and
may testify as expert witnesses in civil or criminal courts or other legal proceedings.
It is the responsibility of the lawyers, judges, and juries to prosecute, defend, and
judge the guilt or innocence of an individual accused of wrongdoing. It is the
responsibility of the forensic scientist to present the scientific facts in a fair, objective
manner based on accepted scientific methods to facilitate the decision.

(Hamilton County Forensic Center)

Definition: The study of evidence discovered at a crime scene and used in a court of
law.
Context: The author of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, was
also responsible for furthering the work of forensic science by applying the
principles of fingerprinting and firearm identification to criminal investigation work.

Forensic science is any science used for the purposes of the law, and therefore
provides impartial scientific evidence for use in the courts of law, and in a criminal
investigation and trial. Forensic science is a multidisciplinary subject, drawing
principally from chemistry and biology, but also from physics, geology, psychology,
social science, etc.

In a typical criminal investigation crime-scene investigators, sometimes known

as scene-of-crime officers, will gather material evidence from the crime scene,
victim and/or suspect. Forensic scientists will examine these materials to provide
scientific evidence to assist in the investigation and court proceedings, and thus work
closely with the police. Senior forensic scientists, who usually specialize in one or
more of the key forensic disciplines, may be required to attend crime scenes or give
evidence in court as impartial expert witnesses.

Examples of forensic science include the use of gas chromatography to identify

seized drugs, DNA profiling to help identify a murder suspect from a bloodstain found
at the crime scene, and laser Raman spectroscopy to identify microscopic paint
fragments.

From examining hair follicles in a lab to scouring a crime scene looking for left
behind clues, forensics is a big part of the crime world. It happens every day. It can
be a little complicated but great minds have found true suspects. It revolves around
evidence. That can include:

Type Image Description

Common sense..the
blood left behind at a
Blood samples crime scene will reveal a
person's blood type and
possibly their identity.
 They are sorted into
different categories and
Fingerprints
therefore reduce the
number of suspects.

Strangely enough,
footprints and shoe prints
in sand and soft ground
can tell about a person's
shoe size and what type
Footprints/Shoe prints
of shoe they wear. From
there, they narrow down
the number of people
who have bought those
type of shoes.
A single hair strand left at
the scene can show a
person's DNA, which is
Hair Follicles
one of a kind, and could
tell you everything about
a person.
Sometimes the car at the
scene of the crime will try
to be hidden, but when
found, can be traced by a
Vehicles
license number and the
make and model to the
person who purchased
the vehicle.
Dirt and dust could
Dust, dirt, etc N/A
provide DNA also.
These important clues,
especially in assault
Semen, body fluids N/A cases will determine
directly who a criminal is,
simply by DNA.

Little things such as

This is also a good clue to
cigarette buds, candy
DNA evidence.
wrappers, etc

DNA: The Basis of Forensics

You may be wondering what DNA is, after reading about it in the above diagram.
DNA is a long fiber, like a hair, only thinner and longer. It is made from two strands
that stick together with a slight twist. It looks like this:
A revolution has occurred in the last few decades that explains how DNA makes us
look like our parents and how a faulty gene can cause disease. This revolution
opens the door to curing illness, both hereditary and contracted. The door has also
been opened to an ethical debate over the full use of our new knowledge. In the end,
curiosity is the reason to learn about DNA. Fittingly, curiosity is the driving force
behind science itself.

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