No crime is perfect! You may have heard this phrase a million times before and it will never cease to be true. We often find biological traces such as blood, hair, skin, sperm, and saliva at a crime scene. This biological material can help unravel various crimes and that's where the forensic biology.
Forensic biology is an area where knowledge of biology is applied to solve crimes. The biologist will work side by side with the police, finding and analyzing material that could be critical for an investigation.
Among the areas of biology, genetics stands out in this type of work. It is through it that it will be possible to carry out DNA analysis and, consequently, identify who owns the biological material. DNA is, without a doubt, the great revealer of crimes.
Imagine a homicide situation where there was a fight before the victim died. Suppose your nail's skin is found on your nail. Through a genetic study, it is possible to identify whose biological material it is. The skin would then be material proof of this crime.
In addition to homicides, genetics also appears to act in paternity and maternity tests. This item is important in cases where there is suspicion of kidnapping and theft of children, for example.
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In addition to genetics, another area that deserves attention is forensic entomology. In this area, arthropods, mainly insects, are analyzed at the scene of a crime. It is by studying the stage of development of some of these animals that it will be possible to find out how long ago, for example, a person was killed. It is also possible to observe whether that body was removed from the actual place of death. For the entomological study, it is of fundamental importance to have a vast knowledge about local arthropods and their life cycle.
Botany is also an area explored in forensic biology, in this field, palynology stands out. Forensic palynology looks at the pollen grains found in the nostrils, hair, clothes, shoes, cars, stolen objects, among other materials of the victims. From there, it is possible to know if the body was found in the original place of the crime, the path taken by the criminal and even the time of year in which the crime was carried out.
Forensic biology is another area within biology that deserves to be highlighted, as it becomes more present in solving crimes every day.
By Me. Vanessa dos Santos
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SANTOS, Vanessa Sardinha dos. "What is Forensic Biology?"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/o-que-e/biologia/o-que-e-biologia-forense.htm. Accessed on June 29, 2021.
