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Forensic Chemistry
Forensics is a very important part of a crime scene investigation. There used to be a time when murders or crimes were left unsolved due to the lack of evidence. However with the advances in technology and research in forensics, crime solving has become a lot easier. The branch of science, which helps out in finding out important evidence, is known as Forensics Chemistry. Forensics Chemistry employs methods, which help in finding clues, which couldn't be found in any other circumstances. We can simply call it the application of a brand of chemistry at the scene of a crime. This is a science which helps us investigate chemical substances and can help trace the cause of the death of a human being by finding useful evidence. However it's not important that the crime scene may be a site of murder or theft. It could also be due to environmental factors by a corporation, hazardous working conditions from an industrial area or tainted food from a restaurant. With the help of forensic chemistry the cause of death is easily classified into a category.
The evidence could be both biological as well as inorganic. Biological evidence consists of anything (blood, bodily fluids, hair, etc.) while inorganic substances could be traces of poisonous substances, gunpowder residue, etc.
Forensic Evidence
It's the job of a Senior Forensic Chemist to be responsible for the proper handling of the forensic chemistry work. This involves the careful handling of the substances, which are seized from the scenes of a crime by law enforcement officials. The chemist has to apply a proper level of analysis, as it's a highly complex matter, which doesn't have any room for errors. If there is the presence of anything like "blood, gun, fingerprints, semen, hair, fiber, handwriting, shoe impression, DNA, or a tooth mark" then a forensic chemist...
They have to be present on the scene of a crime to identify the unknown substances. With their knowledge they can find out about the cause of death of a person. If a person has been poisoned a test is run to check for toxins in the blood. If there is a presence of nitrates in the skin, it indicates whether or not someone has fired a gun. Forensic chemistry plays an important part in criminal justice. A lot of crimes have been solved with the help of forensics chemistry. Analytic chemistry is closely linked with forensic chemistry because the latter uses the former in legal situations.
One of the most prominent ways of tracing the cause of the crime is the application of DNA profiling.
DNA Profiling
DNA profiling has been a remarkable tool as well as powerful breakthrough in forensic chemistry. DNA Profiling used to be known as DNA fingerprinting. Due to the advances in technology unsolved crimes have been solved. DNA profiling has helped to determine if the suspect has committed the crime or not. DNA profiling is now common in all Australian law enforcement authorities. Forensic testing is used on DNA so that it can build a profile to be identified. With the help of DNA profiles a suspect can be linked or excluded to a crime scene. DNA profiling has also helped to identify the unidentified corpses.
DNA is unique in the sense that each person has a different DNA pattern from the other person. DNA profiling used to be done by private companies, as the technology wasn't that common. They believed that the techniques they used had "the power to identify one individual in the world's population" and also declared, "that…
Bibliography
Neufeld, Peter L. & Colman, Neville 1990, 'When Science Takes the Witness Stand', Scientific American, vol. 262, no. 5, May, pp. 46-53
Coelli, Andree 1989, 'One Chance in 165 Million', Australian Law News, September, pp. 22-6
Scutt, Jocelynne 1990, 'Beware of New Technologies', Legal Service Bulletin, vol. 15, no1, February, pp. 9-12.
Introduction to Forensic Chemistry
http://www.library.cqu.edu.au/faculty/chemistry/course_guides/scie11008.htm
But if there five or ten, along with other forensic evidence, it is enough to say that an individual committed a crime "beyond a reasonable doubt." The glove that didn't fit O.J. Simpson at his trial for the murder of his wife and another man is an example of forensic evidence that cleared someone who was falsely accused. Whether that was the correct verdict, we will never know for certain.
Therefore, the ability to determine facts in a case from very small particles of matter has proven to be of invaluable assistance in criminal investigation and procedure; for example, forensic analysis has been used successfully in many paternity cases. 3. Myths and realities There many misconceptions surrounding forensic science and especially CSI or Crime Scene Investigation. This is mainly due to the way that CSI has been portrayed in film and
Forensics Scenario Discussion From the onset, it is important to note that in criminal investigations, one type of evidence commonly encountered is hair evidence (Oien, 2009). As Oien further points out, "during the course of the normal hair-growth cycle, hairs are readily lost from individuals, and these hairs may be transferred during the course of a criminal activity." The hairs collected from the seat of the car in the scenario recounted could
Forensic chemistry is a branch of chemistry that applies the techniques and concepts of chemistry to provide evidence and testify in court. Some federal agencies such as FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and National Institute of Justice use forensic chemistry experts to investigate the crimes committed against the society, which include environmental pollution, food adulteration, and distribution of unsafe chemical substances. In the United States, cocaine and other illegal drugs
Science of Forensic Toxicology Prior to modern medicine and the advent of forensic toxicological sciences, death from intentional poisoning was often indistinguishable from natural causes. Consequently, poisoning with toxic substances was a preferred form of murder throughout human history until relatively recently. Arsenic, in particular, was used so often as a method of murdering wealthy elderly relatives, that it was sometimes known as "inheritance powder." Prior to the nineteenth century, it was virtually
Forensic science evolved as an attempt to introduce scientific methods into criminal justice. From the 18th century onward, advancements in chemistry, biology, and physics paved the way for forensic science (Gaensslen & Larsen, 2019). Likewise, the routine use of autopsy and forensic pathology helped improve the ability to understand the causes of death (Gaensslen & Larsen, 2019). Forensic science steadily evolved, in conjunctions with advancements in scientific instruments and the