Essay Sample: A Look Into DNA

📌Category: Genetics, Science
📌Words: 1345
📌Pages: 5
📌Published: 13 June 2022

Genes are like the story, and DNA is the language that the story is written in (Kean). Several substances can be used to identify someone. These include: blood, saliva, sperm, hair, skin and sweat. While DNA profiling is an invasion of privacy, it helps our citizens by allowing individuals to find their ancestors, catch criminals, and detect health conditions.

Sir Alec Jefferys discovered DNA profiling in 1984 at Leicester University in England, where he was a professor. Jefferys went to be a biochemist and geneticist. He had always been into science. In fact, when Jefferys was younger he blew up his aunt's tree. In 1988, DNA profiling made its first appearance in American court. In 1990, DNA profiling was officially accepted as evidence by the United States Federal Court (Walter). Sir Alec Jefferys was studying DNA mutations with his colleagues before he retired in 2014. However, his colleagues continued to study mutations after his retirement. Soon after the discovery, Jefferys said he was over it and wanted to move on to something new. Jefferys was very shocked about how fast the news of his discovery spread. In just one year, 118 countries started using DNA profiling (Tugba). Less than two decades after his discovery, Apple released phones that require a fingerprint to unlock.

DNA profiling is a very common technique used in criminal cases. Several sex offenders and murderers have been proven guilty due to their DNA being present at the crime scene. All prisoners are required to give a form of DNA so detectives can compare when investigating a case if needed. More than 4.8 million people in the United States have DNA saved in the government system, most being criminals. In the United Kingdom in September of 1987, Colin Pitchfork was found guilty for the sexual assault and murder of two teenage girls. They found his DNA at both the crime scenes. Pitchfork was the first person in history to have DNA matching used as evidence against him (Pearson). A serial killer and rapist by the name of Joseph James DeAngelo, also known as the Golden State Killer, was found guilty in 2018 for at least 13 murders, 50 sexual assaults, and 120 burglaries. A main piece of evidence in this case was that his DNA was found at most, if not all of the crime scenes (Mertz). OJ Simpson was a suspect in the killing of his ex wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. There were several DNA matches to OJ being at the Brentwood house. Whether the DNA was from the time of the murder or not, detectives do not know (Pearson). If it was not for DNA profiling, the streets would be a much scarier place. Numerous serial killers would remain unfound, those being the most dangerous killers in this generation. DNA profiling provides very concrete evidence in cases. DNA matches are very accurate because no one else has the same DNA as another.

DNA profiling has also saved several wrongfully convicted suspects. DNA takes a long time to reduce. Because of this, cases from decades ago have been solved when reopening and testing for DNA. Lawyers, Schneck and Neufield, started the innocence project in 1992. In 2019, over 365 wrongfully convicted individuals were proven innocent due to Schneck and Neufield opening their case back up and DNA investigating (Walter). In a few of these cases, the true criminal were not found. However, now these innocent people will not have to spend years in prison for something that they did not do.

Individuals are now finding out about their ancestry and families through DNA profiling. The most popular genetic testing companies are FamilyTreeDNA, MyHeritage and 23andme, a kit costs $79-99. For the companies to test DNA and give results back, individuals get their kits and spit or swab their cheek. Spit, sweat or skin cells are then sent back to the company where the DNA is tested. Results normally come in just a couple weeks. In the past few years, these companies rose in business, having almost 28.5 million people in the United States buy a kit. The chances of someone having the same DNA as another person are one in trillions (Davis). Ancestry companies sometimes malfunction when matching individuals together. Some people have such similar DNA the computer tells them they are related but they are not. Everyone in the world has unique DNA. A person's DNA stems from half of their mom and half from their dad making a unique mixture of DNA, even from your siblings. Getting half from their mom and half from their dad people inherit physical characteristics of their parents, people can inherit eye color, hair color, blood type and sometimes dangerous health conditions.  Several people using these kits were disappointed in discovering one of their parents were not faithful and that their real parents were not the people that raised them. Bob Perkins was adopted at a very young age and learned he has developed a genetic condition called hemochromatosis, which is where his body develops too much iron. If he had not caught that it possibly could have put him in danger (Dilascio). Adopted children often buy these kits because they are curious about their biological families, their ethnicity and in some cases they get to meet their families after years apart.

A strand of human DNA has sites, which are like stutters, the length of a stutter is what makes every person in the world have different DNA, a person has about many sites. When identifying DNA, scientists use a mix of detergent and enzymes. The mixture then goes into a tube making the DNA float to the bottom. The DNA is split into two strands, then a primer is added and sequences of the primer attach to the strand. The primer at the start of the DNA strand acts as a start button, making several copies of the strand. DNA sites release DNA fragments. DNA fragments are tagged with dye making them visible under ultraviolet lights. They transfer the information onto the computer then the computer finds a match (Davis). When detectives find DNA at the scene of a crime they test it and the process usually takes 24 to 72 hours, sometimes this can be harmful to the victims if the criminal is still out there. However, usually the DNA is found in time or is investigated after the crime was already committed, when police are looking for the criminal. Fingerprints are probably the most sensitive form of DNA. They have to be on a flat surface, or else detectives cannot find a match. Also, fingerprints are easily smudged, so if a fingerprint is smudged even a little it can be unusable. This can also make the process of finding a match take even longer.

DNA profiling has been tough to expand, scientists have tried to find different types of DNA that can be used and even faster processes in finding a match. The newest form of DNA profiling is NGS, which stands for next generation sequencing. NGS makes it much easier to detect health conditions, especially tumors, drug use, and is believed to be faster and more accurate. In 2003 George W. Bush, attempted to expand and donate to the national DNA database, however congress quickly denied this idea (Driscoll). Scientists have said DNA profiling has been difficult to expand due to a shortage of money and taking a very long time to find anything new. DNA profiling is becoming much more common, some doors are requiring fingerprints to unlock, research shows that DNA could become so commonplace some jobs will regulate fingerprints for common tasks (Chisholm). More forms of DNA could become more commonplace, such as blood or saliva, could become required to due simples tasks in the near future. Modern technology has already started requiring DNA.

People believe taking a person's DNA is violating the fourth amendment, unreasonable search and seizure. Some people believe DNA investigation to not be accurate, saying others have been sent to prison just because their DNA was at a crime scene. Scientists prove investigating to be a very powerful, helpful and accurate source, and say in cases more evidence is required to prove a suspect guilty (Walter). DNA is very helpful, by detecting drug use by criminals and in other major situations. However, more evidence is needed when a suspect is proven guilty, the court needs more than just DNA.

Some may believe DNA is an invasion of privacy but it can be used in criminal cases and finding ancestors. DNA can be found in many different forms, a simple touch can reveal an individual's identity. DNA profiling has made the world much more safe and has brought many families together.

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