Small Scale extraction of DNA from blood and its utility in forensic work

ABSTRACT

Forensic scientists are constantly searching for biological characteristics that are so variable among individuals that an observed match found in material left at the scene of the crime could be taken as conclusive proof linking a suspect with the crime. Fingerprints are the most famous and widely used example. However, the circumstances under which fingerprints are left and recovered in good condition are limited, so recourse is been made to other physical remains of a crime, like blood type or other body fluids. These properties, far from being unique, only narrow down the identification to a group, and sometimes a very large group. With the growth of DNA technology has come convincing evidence that each individual's DNA sequence is unique. Turning this theoretical principle into a reliable practical tool is the goal of forensic scientists. So far, the approach has been to find short stretches of DNA that differ from one individual to the next in ways that can be determined rapidly with high reliability and minimal cost due to our meagre resources. DNA studies nas not yet been used in Pakistan in the field of Forensic, where as it is vastly used in other developed countries