- Published: September 29, 2022
- Updated: September 29, 2022
- University / College: The University of Western Australia
- Level: Intermediate School
- Language: English
- Downloads: 46
Law Research Paper on DNA Task Law Research Paper on DNA The discovery of DNA came into spotlight in the 1860s after a series of scientific experiments. This led to the discovery of the DNA, which appears in the genes of all living organisms. Friedrich Meischer was the first person to discover DNA. However, two major scientists made a lot more contribution to this topic in the 1950s. These were James Watson, an American biologist, and Francis Crick, an English Physicist. Their contributions enabled the application of the concept of DNA in a number of fields and schools, such as law. The first application of DNA in the course of law and justice was in the 1980s, whereby the prosecutors used DNA evidence to solve a rape case. DNA appears in two stands of polymers, made of simple units known as nucleotides, with X and Y genes (Lazer, 2004).
The replication of DNA leads to production of a pair of identical replicas from the mother molecule. This continuous process takes place in all living organisms, and as such, ensures biological inheritance. DNA relates to the genes and chromosomes in such as way that it holds all the information in chromosomes necessary in encoding genes. Chromosomes appear in cells and contain genetic information usually passed down through a given lineage. A gene is a DNA sequence that determines particular traits in these living organisms. The most important usage of DNA tests and analysis is DNA profiling, which entails identification of individuals using the profile of their respective DNAs. Forensic scientists can make use of these profiles in identifying victims of a fire or blast burnt beyond physical recognition, or identifying criminals at a crime scene (Vaughan, 2012).
References
Lazer, D. (2004). DNA and the Criminal Justice System: The Technology of Justice. MA: MIT Press.
Vaughan, J. (2012). Who Discovered DNA? New York: Britannica Digital Learning.