ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
OF DNA TESTING
Ro_Group1: Beldean Andreea
Ilies Ioana
Lazurca Bianca
Man Andreea
Purcel Sanda
Introduction
DNA or Deoxyribonucleic acid :
• is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in
the development and functioning of all known living organism,
with the exception of some viruses;
• is often compared to a set of blueprints;
• segments that carry this genetic information are called genes;
• sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in
regulating the use of this genetic information.
DNA testing:
• is the process of analyzing genetic material from an
individual to determine identity, susceptibility to disease
and other important information;
• has increased in popularity in the recent years in the
fields of criminology, biomedicine, biotechnology and
family law;
• proves how much related these people are, and if two
people having the same surname are related;
• can also find out if two descendants hail from the same
ancestor.
Advantages
• One major application of DNA testing is in forensic
identification;
• DNA test results are much clearer than fingerprints and it
is with these results and proof that it is possible to find
criminals;
• DNA evidence from blood, skin or hair can be matched to
the DNA of a suspect to determine information about where
an individual was and who they may have come in contact
with;
• DNA analysis is especially important in cases of rape,
where doctors can often examine a victim and find traces of
the rapist's DNA, which can the be compared to suspects to
determine the guilty party.
•More and more old crimes are being solved by
resubmitting evidence for enhanced DNA testing.
•Another major advantage of DNA analysis is the
ability to screen for certain genetic diseases or risk
factors.
•Prospective parents can be tested to determine if
they carry genes that are responsible for certain
conditions that may be present in other members
of their families.
•Women involved in certain fertility treatments
can also get information about an embryo before it
is implanted.
•DNA plays a vital but never solitary role in disaster victim
identification
•DNA testing has now become routine and expected in
disaster victim identification in the event of a plane crash,
large fire or terrorist attack.
•Dental records and X-rays along with fingerprints are
normally the primary used in victim identification.
• A DNA fingerprint is identical for every part of your body,
whether it is your brain, kidney or foot. It cannot be
changed, so it will be identical no matter what is done to a
body.
•DNA will be used as a last resort and only after all
conventional means of identification are exausted.
• Because DNA can be amplified in the laboratory using a
process called polymerase chain reaction, an amount of
tissue as small as 10 microliters may be sufficient to
perform identity testing.
• This also allows the police to send small samples to
multiple independent labs, reducing the possibility of an
error affecting the results.
• DNA is also more stable than the proteins contained in
blood.
• Therefore it can be used to solve cases that are older and in
which the samples may be more degraded, or which have
been exposed to materials such as solvents or detergents.
• The chance of a DNA match between two persons who
aren't twins is from 1/7000 to 1/1,000,000,000,
depending on the frequency of the patterns being
compared.
• This is a much more specific test than other methods
such as blood type, and DNA is present in any of kind of
body tissue, so it is more likely to be found at a crime
scene than blood.
• DNA testing is also more reliable than eyewitness
testimony
Disadvantages
• One key disadvantage of DNA analysis is the potential
for invasion of individual privacy;
• Because a person's DNA reveals so much information
about their physical state, it is sensitive information that
must be carefully guarded;
• Information about an individual's ethnic background and
parentage could become cause for discrimination;
• Disadvantages include incomplete coverage, which can
lead to false normal results, and the ability to test only
for unbalanced rearrangements (duplications and
deletions), and not balanced translocations or inversions.
• There is no consensus on what should happen to DNA
samples once they have been taken.
• Police may try to use the samples to look for matches
when investigating future crimes.
• Additionally, minorities are arrested at a higher rate than
the general public, and many jurisdictions take DNA
samples from anyone who has been arrested.
• Storing DNA may also lead to the possibility that
insurance companies will access the samples to test
individuals for diseases that are caused by genetic
defects.
• The ethical questions concerning genetic modification
are often at the forefront of the debate about when, and
how, DNA testing should be?
• Personal rights advocates argue that storing DNA is
unethical for several reasons:
For example, when someone has been proved to be
unrelated to a crime by a DNA sample, but then is
matched to a different crime for no other reason than that
sample on file, it is questionable whether the police had
probable cause to use the collected DNA as evidence.
Some jurisdictions hold on to samples for years, even
when the suspect has been cleared of any guilt.
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Although DNA fingerprinting is very accurate, it also is
very sensitive and can be contaminated easily.
According to the Woodrow Wilson Biology Institute,
the slightest contamination can affect the test, and it is
difficult to keep a sample contaminant-free.
Also, if different people or equipment are used to
measure the length of the DNA sequences, they might
get different results.
As of 2010, there are no standards for labs, nor any kind
of licensing requirements. This could lead to poor test
quality and reliability.
Conclusions
• DNA is present in each of our cells and contains the
instructions that allow our bodies to function.
• Each of our DNA patterns are different, just as our bodies
differ. The only exception to this rule is identical twins.
• Criminologists can use DNA present at a crime scene to
determine who was present when the crime was
committed by comparing these patterns.
• While there are several benefits in using DNA analysis to
solve crimes, there are still some drawbacks that must be
considered.
References
• Rose & Goos. DNA — A Practical Guide. Toronto: Carswell
Publications.
• Identification of the remains of the Romanov family by DNA
analysis by Peter Gill, Central Research and Support Establishment,
Forensic Science Service, Aldermaston, Reading, Berkshire, RG7
4PN, UK, Pavel L. Ivanov, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular
Biology, Russian Academy 117984, Moscow, Russia, Colin
Kimpton, Romelle Piercy, Nicola Benson, Gillian Tully, Ian Evett,
Kevin Sullivan, Forensic Science Service, Priory House, Gooch
Street North, Birmingham B5 6QQ, UK, Erika Hagelberg
• "Mistaken identity claim over murder". BBC News. February 15,
2003.Retrieved April 1, 2010.
• Advantages and disadvantages of DNA analisys, by Dennis Hartman
, eHow Contributor ,updated april 15, 2010