DNA

8 Pages 2098 Words

Many people disagree to the use of DNA results. Many question the accuracy of DNA evidence. DNA testing is very expensive, and the accused might not be able to afford a DNA expert to defend him/her in court if DNA evidence is used against them, and if DNA experts are hired for them, there is a possibility of bias. Under current law, only DNA from adults convicted of crimes can be placed in the national database, which is used to compare those samples with biological evidence from crime scenes. If authorities had DNA (fingerprints) immediately available it would increase the DNA database and add to potential matches to unsolved crimes.
Will the expansion of DNA testing by law enforcement cast a shadow over our basic constitutional freedoms? Or is DNA the vehicle for ensuring that only the guilty are punished?
What is DNA?
DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the building block for an individual's entire genetic makeup. It is a component of every cell in the human body. DNA is the chemical inside the nucleus of all cells that carries the genetic instructions for making living organisms. A DNA molecule consists of two strands that wrap around each other to resemble a twisted ladder. The sides are made of sugar and phosphate molecules. The “rungs” are made of nitrogen-containing chemicals called bases. Each strand is composed of one sugar molecule, one phosphate molecule, and a base. Four different bases are present in DNA - adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C), and guanine (G) ("Gale" 1262). The particular order of the bases arranged along the sugar - phosphate backbone is called the DNA sequence; the sequence specifies the exact genetic instructions required to create a particular organism with its own unique traits.
Together, the section of DNA would be represented like this:
T-T-G-A-C-T-A-T-C-C-A-G-A-T-C
A-A-C-T-G-A-T-A-G-G-T-C-T-A-G

DNA is a powerful tool because each person's DNA is different from...