We often see crime scenes in the news and experts trying to collect all possible clues to unravel a mystery. Did you know that science can help?
Many times, when people commit a crime, they leave a trail. As they say: There is no such thing as a perfect crime!
In places where robberies or deaths have occurred, it is common for traces of the criminal to be found. From a strand of hair, for example, we can find out who the thief or murderer is. This is because, in hair, we can find DNA, a molecule that contains all the information about a particular person.
Each person has a different DNA, for example, you who read this text have a totally different DNA from mine! Thus, if any material that contains your DNA is found in a certain place, we can say that you were there.
DNA is found in every cell in the body, so if a drop of blood is found, saliva or the hair itself, a DNA test can be performed to eliminate some suspects.
DNA testing is also used to identify paternity. Did you know that your DNA is made up of a portion coming from your father and a portion coming from your mother? That's why we can know who a person's parents are, as their DNA is a combination of the DNA of their parents.
Sometimes only delinquent material is found. We can find plant pollen and even some unique and exclusive micro-organisms from a particular region. For example, a murder took place in a place where a certain type of plant exists. Upon analyzing the suspect's clothing, we found pollen from that plant. This clearly indicates that the person went to that location. We cannot say that he is the culprit, but he will have to provide clarification to the police.
Fingerprints may be the missing piece to identify a criminal
We cannot forget to mention papiloscopy, one of the oldest ways to identify a person. Through this technique, the protrusions of the feet, hands and fingers, the so-called fingerprints, are analyzed.
Have you ever noticed that when you pick up a glass, our mark is often printed on it? Without realizing it, we left our fingerprints in several places. Each individual has a different fingerprint, even the twin brothers. That's why it's also used to solve crimes.
Is that you? Wouldn't you like to unravel some mysteries too?
by Vanessa dos Santos
Graduated in Biology
