Dissection Reflection
The Animal I chose was a shark because I felt like it was an animal I don’t usually come across everyday and felt like it would be something that I would learn more about opposed to a cat or pig. I also found that in choosing this animal like a lot of others it would make it easier for me to collaborate with other groups during our research. While doing my dissection I had learned most about the reproductive and digestive system because of the way that we had taken the most time going through those two systems most. I wish I had more time to have researched about the sharks brain and senses. During the dissection I learned that I was able to really collaborate with my partner and get our work done on time. I had also learned that I was very queasy sadly to the smell of the shark for no reason.
I feel like honey bees are important in our society because of the way they pollinate our crops not just fruits and vegetables they pollinate types of nuts and other sorts of foods which without we would have a very plain diet and most of the time we wouldn’t be getting the nutrients that is needed for us to be healthy human beings. Honey bees are also very important because of what honey they make, their honey in some cases can be used for medicinal uses and can be used for health benefits.
For my project I chose to focus on was what makes the difference between pure honey and honey with artificial sweeteners, and how pure honey has health benefits opposed to why honey with artificial sweeteners don't have benefits. I learned a lot about how honey is used for medicinal uses and certain ways that I can use it for medicinal uses also how by consuming certain amounts of honey it can help for health benefits. What I produced for exhibition was I had written two papers about pure honey and artificial honey, these papers summed up the differences between the two, I had also created a taste test between the two. I feel like I was most proud of the amount of research the I had done in order to fully understand and grasp my topic in a way that I can present it comfortably. I feel like I am as proud as I can with my project that I produced and done wish that had done anything different.
All About Honey
Williams, DR. J. E. "All About Honey: Raw, Wild, Manuka…What Kind Is Best for Health?" Renegade Health. N.p., 26 Apr. 2013. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
The first main point that this source brings up is the health benefits of consuming the right amount of honey. The author talks about how certain honeys from different regions bring different health value. For example he talked about honey produced from white ogeechee tupelo trees and how this kind of honey can be consumed by people with diabetes. This source talks a lot about how honey can be used as type of medicine. He brings up the fact that honey contains certain factors that contribute to healing wounds by pulling water from the wound which makes it heal faster. He also talks a lot about how honey contains types of antibacterial disinfectants like hydrogen peroxide that kill germs. A good amount of this source focuses on why not to eat too much honey. He talks about this because of how he talks about why honey is beneficial but when consumed too much it will result in unhealthy matters. Honey contains a large amount of fructose which can result in unhealthy effects on blood sugar metabolism. This source helps inform you about the healthy effects of honey but why not to consume too much of it.
This source is a great informational way of giving me an idea of how honey contributes to our body’s way of healing and staying healthy. By reading this I gained a lot of information about honey that I would’ve never figured out without reading it. This source will definitely help me with my project by giving me more information about what natural honey contains and how it helps us when we consume it. Some interesting information I learned was about how honey helps heal wounds by pulling water away from a wound which makes the wound take less time to heal. If people have wounds that continue to slowly heal they should try small amounts of honey to quickly begin to heal the wound. This source just overall gave me a lot of information about how honey is used as a medicine. By reading this source I have come up with a new idea for my project by researching many different ways about how honey can be used as a medicine and different ways that it kills germs.
The Shocking Differences Between Raw Honey and Processed Golden Honey
Foster, Karen. "The Shocking Differences Between Raw Honey and Processed Golden Honey - Natural Revolution." Natural Revolution. N.p., 23 Oct. 2014. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
A main point that this source brings up is why China takes out the pollen from raw honey. The only reason that this source gave was that China does this to keep the public from gaining the benefits that honey gives. They also do this because honey without its original contents its classified as a honey mix which is less expensive that pure honey. This keeps people from buying more expensive pure honey. This source also talks about why honey without its original contents is bad. The reason that was stated was that when honey is processed and its original contents are taken out, they add other artificial sweeteners which takes out the health benefits of real honey.
Some interesting information that I had learned by reading this source was how chinese honey makers process honey in a way to make their product less expensive and easier to find by the consumers as opposed to pure honey that is usually most found locally. This source gave me more background information about my topic and how certain countries find cheap ways to give a less beneficial honey product. This source has also helped me gain more knowledge about how each type of honey is produced.This has given me an idea for my project by having a test test between pure honey and artificially honey and see if you can tell the difference. The way that this source is going to help with my project is by giving me information about ways I can tell between pure and artificial honey and giving me information about just overall how what types of honey is produced.
Raw Unfiltered Honey
"Raw Unfiltered Honey." Pure Healing Foods. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
This source will help my project by knowing about the history of beekeeping and how early civilizations used bees for farming and how it increased their crop. A new idea that I have for my project is to add or teach how a small part of the history of beekeeping. This source connects to previous research by talking about the benefits that consuming honey gives to human health and how processed honey takes away those benefits.
“Apiculture, the practice of beekeeping to produce honey, dates back to at least 700 bc” this passage is the second sentence under “Raw Honey History” URL: http://www.purehealingfoods.com/honeyInfo.php
“Raw honey contains up to 80 different substances important to human nutrition” This passage is the first sentence in the third paragraph of “Health Benefits of Honey” URL: http://www.purehealingfoods.com/honeyInfo.php
“Worker bees gather the nectar and place it in their honey sac where it mixes with acid secretions” This passage is the second sentence of the first paragraph in “Health Benefits of Honey” URL: http://www.purehealingfoods.com/honeyInfo.php
I feel like honey bees are important in our society because of the way they pollinate our crops not just fruits and vegetables they pollinate types of nuts and other sorts of foods which without we would have a very plain diet and most of the time we wouldn’t be getting the nutrients that is needed for us to be healthy human beings. Honey bees are also very important because of what honey they make, their honey in some cases can be used for medicinal uses and can be used for health benefits.
For my project I chose to focus on was what makes the difference between pure honey and honey with artificial sweeteners, and how pure honey has health benefits opposed to why honey with artificial sweeteners don't have benefits. I learned a lot about how honey is used for medicinal uses and certain ways that I can use it for medicinal uses also how by consuming certain amounts of honey it can help for health benefits. What I produced for exhibition was I had written two papers about pure honey and artificial honey, these papers summed up the differences between the two, I had also created a taste test between the two. I feel like I was most proud of the amount of research the I had done in order to fully understand and grasp my topic in a way that I can present it comfortably. I feel like I am as proud as I can with my project that I produced and done wish that had done anything different.
All About Honey
Williams, DR. J. E. "All About Honey: Raw, Wild, Manuka…What Kind Is Best for Health?" Renegade Health. N.p., 26 Apr. 2013. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
The first main point that this source brings up is the health benefits of consuming the right amount of honey. The author talks about how certain honeys from different regions bring different health value. For example he talked about honey produced from white ogeechee tupelo trees and how this kind of honey can be consumed by people with diabetes. This source talks a lot about how honey can be used as type of medicine. He brings up the fact that honey contains certain factors that contribute to healing wounds by pulling water from the wound which makes it heal faster. He also talks a lot about how honey contains types of antibacterial disinfectants like hydrogen peroxide that kill germs. A good amount of this source focuses on why not to eat too much honey. He talks about this because of how he talks about why honey is beneficial but when consumed too much it will result in unhealthy matters. Honey contains a large amount of fructose which can result in unhealthy effects on blood sugar metabolism. This source helps inform you about the healthy effects of honey but why not to consume too much of it.
This source is a great informational way of giving me an idea of how honey contributes to our body’s way of healing and staying healthy. By reading this I gained a lot of information about honey that I would’ve never figured out without reading it. This source will definitely help me with my project by giving me more information about what natural honey contains and how it helps us when we consume it. Some interesting information I learned was about how honey helps heal wounds by pulling water away from a wound which makes the wound take less time to heal. If people have wounds that continue to slowly heal they should try small amounts of honey to quickly begin to heal the wound. This source just overall gave me a lot of information about how honey is used as a medicine. By reading this source I have come up with a new idea for my project by researching many different ways about how honey can be used as a medicine and different ways that it kills germs.
- The antibacterial action of honey is thought to be from hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). A powerful antimicrobial, H2O2 can kill nearly all germs, as well as some cancer cells, on contact. When honey comes in contact with a wound, an enzyme called glucose oxidase, a gift from the bees, activates the release of H2O2. This passage is the first sentance of “What makes Honey Magic” URL: http://renegadehealth.com/blog/2013/04/26/all-about-honey-raw-wild-manuka-what-kind-is-best-for-health
- The nutrient content of honey is very low, but it has many easily assumable trace minerals and other nutrients. Darker colored honey has more minerals. This passage is the last sentence of “Nutritional Value of Honey” URL: http://renegadehealth.com/blog/2013/04/26/all-about-honey-raw-wild-manuka-what-kind-is-best-for-health
- Since honey is mainly composed of fructose, it may have unhealthy effects on blood sugar metabolism. This passage is in the “Honey and Sugar Connection” URL: http://renegadehealth.com/blog/2013/04/26/all-about-honey-raw-wild-manuka-what-kind-i
The Shocking Differences Between Raw Honey and Processed Golden Honey
Foster, Karen. "The Shocking Differences Between Raw Honey and Processed Golden Honey - Natural Revolution." Natural Revolution. N.p., 23 Oct. 2014. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
A main point that this source brings up is why China takes out the pollen from raw honey. The only reason that this source gave was that China does this to keep the public from gaining the benefits that honey gives. They also do this because honey without its original contents its classified as a honey mix which is less expensive that pure honey. This keeps people from buying more expensive pure honey. This source also talks about why honey without its original contents is bad. The reason that was stated was that when honey is processed and its original contents are taken out, they add other artificial sweeteners which takes out the health benefits of real honey.
Some interesting information that I had learned by reading this source was how chinese honey makers process honey in a way to make their product less expensive and easier to find by the consumers as opposed to pure honey that is usually most found locally. This source gave me more background information about my topic and how certain countries find cheap ways to give a less beneficial honey product. This source has also helped me gain more knowledge about how each type of honey is produced.This has given me an idea for my project by having a test test between pure honey and artificially honey and see if you can tell the difference. The way that this source is going to help with my project is by giving me information about ways I can tell between pure and artificial honey and giving me information about just overall how what types of honey is produced.
- “Nevertheless, the agency had occasionally either been told of, or had stumbled upon, Chinese honey contaminated with chloramphenicol and other illegal animal antibiotics which are dangerous, even fatal, to a very small percentage of the population.” This passage is the last sentence in the fourth paragraph of “Whats Wrong whith Chinese Honey” URL: http://naturalrevolution.org/shocking-differences-raw-honey-processed-golden-honey/
- “We can only assume to prevent the majority of the public from obtaining all the benefits found in raw honey. Removal of all pollen from honey “makes no sense” and is completely contrary to marketing the highest quality product possible, Mark Jensen, president of the American Honey Producers Association, told Food Safety News.” This passage is the first paragraph of “Why Remove the Pollen” URL: http://naturalrevolution.org/shocking-differences-raw-honey-processed-golden-honey/
Raw Unfiltered Honey
"Raw Unfiltered Honey." Pure Healing Foods. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
- History of honey and beekeeping
- Benefits of honey
- How bees obtain nectar for honey
This source will help my project by knowing about the history of beekeeping and how early civilizations used bees for farming and how it increased their crop. A new idea that I have for my project is to add or teach how a small part of the history of beekeeping. This source connects to previous research by talking about the benefits that consuming honey gives to human health and how processed honey takes away those benefits.
“Apiculture, the practice of beekeeping to produce honey, dates back to at least 700 bc” this passage is the second sentence under “Raw Honey History” URL: http://www.purehealingfoods.com/honeyInfo.php
“Raw honey contains up to 80 different substances important to human nutrition” This passage is the first sentence in the third paragraph of “Health Benefits of Honey” URL: http://www.purehealingfoods.com/honeyInfo.php
“Worker bees gather the nectar and place it in their honey sac where it mixes with acid secretions” This passage is the second sentence of the first paragraph in “Health Benefits of Honey” URL: http://www.purehealingfoods.com/honeyInfo.php
Forensics Project Summary
During the forensics project we first went through the subject of exoneration and what that all means. Exonerated is when a person who was wrongfully convicted and sent to jail or prison is released by new DNA evidence provided in court after the person was convicted. When we went through this we talked about how some people are wrongfully convicted. This ranged from wrong eyewitness accounts wrongfully picked during a police line up or to incorrect DNA evidence. We then talked about the steps that are taken to be exonerated. After a person is convicted it may take years to discover and find new evidence proving the person is innocent. Usually a person is exonerated because of new DNA evidence not linking them to the crime or witnesses recover old memories of the experience in a different way than originally. DNA has improved the efficacy by bringing more detail and better quality of what had actually happened during the crime.
For my crime scene we mostly went through the analysis of forensic anthropology. Forensic anthropology is the study and analysis of skeletal remains. By going through this process we found possibly the cause of death which was gunshot trauma to the back of the head. We also used this process to determine the height and width of our victim by measuring the size of the bones. I also determined the race of the victim by looking at the upper jaw to see what type of shape the roof of his mouth was.
The forensic science that was most interesting to me me was forensic anthropology. I liked this science because we analyzed how the victim was killed and how we measured the bones to figure out the height of the victim. We also found out his race by looking at the shape of the roof of his mouth. I really did not like writing the reports but I felt like I did these well because I put time and knowledge into what I wrote. I feel like I did well because I wrote alot of scientific words and alot of detail into each report. I don’t really think I wanted to do better on something I just wish we went into more detail about why we put the bugs in the jar and how we really determined the race and specifics of our victim.
During the forensics project we first went through the subject of exoneration and what that all means. Exonerated is when a person who was wrongfully convicted and sent to jail or prison is released by new DNA evidence provided in court after the person was convicted. When we went through this we talked about how some people are wrongfully convicted. This ranged from wrong eyewitness accounts wrongfully picked during a police line up or to incorrect DNA evidence. We then talked about the steps that are taken to be exonerated. After a person is convicted it may take years to discover and find new evidence proving the person is innocent. Usually a person is exonerated because of new DNA evidence not linking them to the crime or witnesses recover old memories of the experience in a different way than originally. DNA has improved the efficacy by bringing more detail and better quality of what had actually happened during the crime.
For my crime scene we mostly went through the analysis of forensic anthropology. Forensic anthropology is the study and analysis of skeletal remains. By going through this process we found possibly the cause of death which was gunshot trauma to the back of the head. We also used this process to determine the height and width of our victim by measuring the size of the bones. I also determined the race of the victim by looking at the upper jaw to see what type of shape the roof of his mouth was.
The forensic science that was most interesting to me me was forensic anthropology. I liked this science because we analyzed how the victim was killed and how we measured the bones to figure out the height of the victim. We also found out his race by looking at the shape of the roof of his mouth. I really did not like writing the reports but I felt like I did these well because I put time and knowledge into what I wrote. I feel like I did well because I wrote alot of scientific words and alot of detail into each report. I don’t really think I wanted to do better on something I just wish we went into more detail about why we put the bugs in the jar and how we really determined the race and specifics of our victim.
Reed Frey
Coroners Report
Crime Scene: #2
Evidence Being Examined: Skeletal Remains
Forensic Science Used:
Summary of evidence:
A coroner is an officer or official of the county or state. A coroner’s main job is to investigate criminal cases with any suspicious or violent deaths resulting clearly not from natural causes.
Date is 9/21/14, 4:16 pm.The Skeletal Remains being analyzed were found in the San Juan National Forest. Couple who discovered the remains are Mary and Mark Sullivan there phone number is 970-331-3646. There is no reported witness to the crime committed. The remains are about 3yrs after the decomposing of the body. The suspected victim is 52 to 56 inches tall. His weight is uncalculated, age is 18yrs. Sex is Male, Race is Caucasian. The body of the victim was identified by the victim’s dental features.
Suspected cause of death is an execution style gunshot wound to the back of the victims skull which exited the front of the skull. The entrance wound is 2mm wide, which has a depth of all the way through the skull. The exit wound is 7.4 cm wide, and has a depth of all the way through the skull. La Plata County Morgue, 4/14/13, time 5:16 pm. Evidence found an amount of blood under the fingernails of the victim’s hand. We also identified hair under the fingernails of the victim’s hand. Alternative light sources are negative on Ultraviolet, Infra Red, And Laser. The victim’s body has been laid on the ground outside for three years so there is some kind of weathering, body was found with a large amount of young beetles and other insects.
When identifying the body there wasn’t a Forensic Ontologist or Print Analyst contacted for identification. This was because the body was only bones and there would be no fingerprint. When identifying a body that is only bones there are other ways of determining who the victim was by looking at their dental features to determine the race of the victim ,and also we look at dental records to see if they match. The body was found without any clothes identified on the body or in the area. There were no samples of clothes sent. When dissecting the victim we could not start the dissection because of the skeletal state of the body. We could not take blood samples, Blood for DNA, or Blood for Toxicology testing because there wasn’t any blood.
The crime that was investigated found a body that consisted of only skeletal remains. When analyzing the remains there was a gunshot wound at the back of the head through to the front of the skull which was suspected to be the initial cause of death but cannot be determined. The skeletal remains have been in the San Juan National Forest for 3yrs after the time of death. The initial cause of death remains to be unclear for the time being.
Coroners Report
Crime Scene: #2
Evidence Being Examined: Skeletal Remains
Forensic Science Used:
Summary of evidence:
A coroner is an officer or official of the county or state. A coroner’s main job is to investigate criminal cases with any suspicious or violent deaths resulting clearly not from natural causes.
Date is 9/21/14, 4:16 pm.The Skeletal Remains being analyzed were found in the San Juan National Forest. Couple who discovered the remains are Mary and Mark Sullivan there phone number is 970-331-3646. There is no reported witness to the crime committed. The remains are about 3yrs after the decomposing of the body. The suspected victim is 52 to 56 inches tall. His weight is uncalculated, age is 18yrs. Sex is Male, Race is Caucasian. The body of the victim was identified by the victim’s dental features.
Suspected cause of death is an execution style gunshot wound to the back of the victims skull which exited the front of the skull. The entrance wound is 2mm wide, which has a depth of all the way through the skull. The exit wound is 7.4 cm wide, and has a depth of all the way through the skull. La Plata County Morgue, 4/14/13, time 5:16 pm. Evidence found an amount of blood under the fingernails of the victim’s hand. We also identified hair under the fingernails of the victim’s hand. Alternative light sources are negative on Ultraviolet, Infra Red, And Laser. The victim’s body has been laid on the ground outside for three years so there is some kind of weathering, body was found with a large amount of young beetles and other insects.
When identifying the body there wasn’t a Forensic Ontologist or Print Analyst contacted for identification. This was because the body was only bones and there would be no fingerprint. When identifying a body that is only bones there are other ways of determining who the victim was by looking at their dental features to determine the race of the victim ,and also we look at dental records to see if they match. The body was found without any clothes identified on the body or in the area. There were no samples of clothes sent. When dissecting the victim we could not start the dissection because of the skeletal state of the body. We could not take blood samples, Blood for DNA, or Blood for Toxicology testing because there wasn’t any blood.
The crime that was investigated found a body that consisted of only skeletal remains. When analyzing the remains there was a gunshot wound at the back of the head through to the front of the skull which was suspected to be the initial cause of death but cannot be determined. The skeletal remains have been in the San Juan National Forest for 3yrs after the time of death. The initial cause of death remains to be unclear for the time being.
Blood Typing
Before of blood analysis was part of solving a case, in order to solve a crime detectives were forced to use their own instincts and harshly got suspect testimonies in a brutal way. In the late 1800s the idea of fingerprinting, but in 1900 Paul Uhlenhuth did a series of experiments that introduced the method of blood typing . Blood is the most common and most likely the most crucial piece of evidence in solving certain crimes. There is no other known substitute that can be used better than blood in the analysis of a crime scene or to find a suspect. In a crime scene blood spatter patterns can help tell the story of the crime. Blood also has the ability to link a suspect to a crime or location. Even though some criminals are creating new ways to cover up their blood or DNA evidence at a crime, modern day forensics works hard to keep ahead.
Forensic serologists use a number different blood testing techniques, specifically the ABO system, which is examines the surface of the red blood cells for two antigens known as A and B, these blood types are named by what antigens they contain. In the process of blood typing for every antigen there is an antibody with it. The process of blood typing includes the use of two antiserums: anti-A and anti-B. A small amount of the antiserum goes into samples of blood which produces a clotted or an agglutinated effect. Blood types in the most basic form, can help identify a certain person from there family lineage. For example blood type O is most commonly found in Native Americans and Latin Americans, blood type A is found in Caucasians and Persians of European descent, blood type AB is found in mostly Japanese people. This simple system can narrow down to a range of suspects and victims in a crime.
Blood typing gets even more classified by the Rh system. The Rh system is more complicated than the ABO system with about 30 combinations, these combinations are shown as either positive or negative. The Rh factor is found on the surface of red blood cells. Using an antibody solution to the Rh protein, the same idea is used, where blood clumping determines the absence or presence of this protein, which bring the finer bloods groups to sight. The ABO system uses sub grouping, using stuff taken from plants and seeds that create antiserums which clots blood types in a more selective manner.
During the collection of evidence from crime scenes, wet blood offers a lot better testability than dried blood does. Blood starts to dry after five minutes of air exposure. The testing of blood in forensics at times includes DNA testing. This process is a bit harder because they have to separate pieces of the DNA strands that is in the blood. This process when done right can give a very crucial piece of evidence when presented in a court room.
Before of blood analysis was part of solving a case, in order to solve a crime detectives were forced to use their own instincts and harshly got suspect testimonies in a brutal way. In the late 1800s the idea of fingerprinting, but in 1900 Paul Uhlenhuth did a series of experiments that introduced the method of blood typing . Blood is the most common and most likely the most crucial piece of evidence in solving certain crimes. There is no other known substitute that can be used better than blood in the analysis of a crime scene or to find a suspect. In a crime scene blood spatter patterns can help tell the story of the crime. Blood also has the ability to link a suspect to a crime or location. Even though some criminals are creating new ways to cover up their blood or DNA evidence at a crime, modern day forensics works hard to keep ahead.
Forensic serologists use a number different blood testing techniques, specifically the ABO system, which is examines the surface of the red blood cells for two antigens known as A and B, these blood types are named by what antigens they contain. In the process of blood typing for every antigen there is an antibody with it. The process of blood typing includes the use of two antiserums: anti-A and anti-B. A small amount of the antiserum goes into samples of blood which produces a clotted or an agglutinated effect. Blood types in the most basic form, can help identify a certain person from there family lineage. For example blood type O is most commonly found in Native Americans and Latin Americans, blood type A is found in Caucasians and Persians of European descent, blood type AB is found in mostly Japanese people. This simple system can narrow down to a range of suspects and victims in a crime.
Blood typing gets even more classified by the Rh system. The Rh system is more complicated than the ABO system with about 30 combinations, these combinations are shown as either positive or negative. The Rh factor is found on the surface of red blood cells. Using an antibody solution to the Rh protein, the same idea is used, where blood clumping determines the absence or presence of this protein, which bring the finer bloods groups to sight. The ABO system uses sub grouping, using stuff taken from plants and seeds that create antiserums which clots blood types in a more selective manner.
During the collection of evidence from crime scenes, wet blood offers a lot better testability than dried blood does. Blood starts to dry after five minutes of air exposure. The testing of blood in forensics at times includes DNA testing. This process is a bit harder because they have to separate pieces of the DNA strands that is in the blood. This process when done right can give a very crucial piece of evidence when presented in a court room.
Mitochondrial DNA
Reed Frey
10/5/2014
The FBI lab began studies on mitochondrial DNA for human identity testing in the 1980s. Laboratory research using mtDNA sequencing for in forensic casework in 1992. After mtDNA sequencing was validated examinations of evidentiary samples began in June 1996.Mitochondrial DNA is different from your own personal DNA. This sort of DNA is part of what connects you or relates you to your mother or father and their mother and father. This DNA does not determine your or someone else’s personal identity. Mitochondrial DNA can help by example: if a family member report a missing person and a couple days later a body was found but it couldn’t be identified they would take DNA from the family member and DNA from the body to see if the two match. Mitochondrial DNA is biologically passed to you from your mother and father, this DNA is what connects you to your family members.
The first part of doing this is the separation of the DNA from the cell. To extract the DNA they use a mixture of organic chemicals that separate the DNA sample from other proteins in the cell. The mixture of chemicals and the DNA is spun in a centrifuge, the DNA remains soluble in the top layer of the mixture. The rest of the cell we are trying to extract the DNA from is left at the bottom or in-between the bottom and top layer. Now the DNA we want is filtered, concentrated, purified, and ready for PCR amplification.
The PCR is a procedure that makes many copies of the DNA you have. The first step of this procedure is to heat the two strains of DNA you have to separate them from each other. These two strands separated are called the template strands. A new DNA strand is then created by one of each of the templates by using an enzyme that copies the existing DNA molecule. This process is repeated a number of times, each time it is repeated the amount of DNA in the tube doubles, so at the end there are many millions of the targeted DNA sample.
The quantification step is performed using capillary electrophoresis. This technique compares the amount of DNA in the PCR sample to a known DNA standard to find the concentration of DNA in the amplified sample. Amplified and quantified blank samples and known DNAs are also included to tell whether exogenous DNA is there or to tell whether the amplification process worked. If the amplification process failed then we would have to reextracted and reamplified, if it was successful then the products are prepared for DNA sequencing.
Reed Frey
10/5/2014
The FBI lab began studies on mitochondrial DNA for human identity testing in the 1980s. Laboratory research using mtDNA sequencing for in forensic casework in 1992. After mtDNA sequencing was validated examinations of evidentiary samples began in June 1996.Mitochondrial DNA is different from your own personal DNA. This sort of DNA is part of what connects you or relates you to your mother or father and their mother and father. This DNA does not determine your or someone else’s personal identity. Mitochondrial DNA can help by example: if a family member report a missing person and a couple days later a body was found but it couldn’t be identified they would take DNA from the family member and DNA from the body to see if the two match. Mitochondrial DNA is biologically passed to you from your mother and father, this DNA is what connects you to your family members.
The first part of doing this is the separation of the DNA from the cell. To extract the DNA they use a mixture of organic chemicals that separate the DNA sample from other proteins in the cell. The mixture of chemicals and the DNA is spun in a centrifuge, the DNA remains soluble in the top layer of the mixture. The rest of the cell we are trying to extract the DNA from is left at the bottom or in-between the bottom and top layer. Now the DNA we want is filtered, concentrated, purified, and ready for PCR amplification.
The PCR is a procedure that makes many copies of the DNA you have. The first step of this procedure is to heat the two strains of DNA you have to separate them from each other. These two strands separated are called the template strands. A new DNA strand is then created by one of each of the templates by using an enzyme that copies the existing DNA molecule. This process is repeated a number of times, each time it is repeated the amount of DNA in the tube doubles, so at the end there are many millions of the targeted DNA sample.
The quantification step is performed using capillary electrophoresis. This technique compares the amount of DNA in the PCR sample to a known DNA standard to find the concentration of DNA in the amplified sample. Amplified and quantified blank samples and known DNAs are also included to tell whether exogenous DNA is there or to tell whether the amplification process worked. If the amplification process failed then we would have to reextracted and reamplified, if it was successful then the products are prepared for DNA sequencing.
Reed Frey
Crime scene: # 2
Evidence being examined: victim’s skull
Forensic science used: Forensic Anthropology
Summary of evidence:
Forensic Anthropology is the method of combining the mixed theories of Anthropology, Osteology, and Archeology with legal methods. The role of a forensic anthropologist is varied from the collection of human remains and the analysis, also the identification of victims beyond recognition, the estimation of time since the victims death, this method also can establish injuries on the body and in some cases the cause of death. A forensic anthropologist is usually there when a body is in the late stages of decomposition or is completely skeletonized, and or unrecognizable by fire damage or other gruesome stuff. Sometimes these people are called in to help the excavation and analysis of human remains recently discovered. After the careful excavation, documentation and collection of the remains, they are cleaned up in preparation for the analysis. During the investigation the anthropologist will conduct a variety of examinations of the bones to help the determination of the identity of the victim. These examinations also provide an analysis of trauma or any damage to the bones.
Forensic anthropologist also have to determine the gender of the victim. There are some ways to determine this just from the surface of the remains, like the hair. If the hair is long it may be female but in some cases it can be male remains. Some ways to accurately determine the gender is to look at the pelvis of the victim’s body. If you are looking at it in the anterior view you can see that the bottom of the female pelvis is wider than the male pelvis. If you look at the pelvis from the superior view the sacrum is tilted back on the female pelvis and the sacrum is tilted forward on the male pelvis. Looking at the pelvis in the inferior view the female pelvis has a large pelvic outlet but the male pelvis has a small one.
After determining the gender of the victim anthropologist have to determine their race. By determining the victim’s race they look at primarily the mouth of the victim. The roof of the mouth contains a shape of some kind which helps us determine what race they are from. The African and European maxilla are somewhat similar but the African one is more wide and pointy at the end. The European one looks sort of round and skinny. Asian maxilla are round and somewhat small. These races can also be determined by the mouth bones of the person. The incisors of the mouth can be differed from shovel shaped or spatulate, or spatula shaped. There are three races that go to these, European and African are spatulate or spatula shaped, and the Asian race is shovel shaped.
The age of the victim is also important for the investigation. You can determine if the body is younger or older by just looking at its bones. You do this, for example by looking at its vertebrae and looking at if it looks young and good looking or arthritic and kind of scratched up. You also can indicate a younger human by analysis the skull. If the skill has more natural holes than filled in ones that it can be a younger victim. As we age our hole that are filled with cartilage become more and more filled in with bone. The pelvis of young person is made of three bones witch will be fused together later on. There 206 bones in an adult body but there are a much higher count in a younger person since not all of the bones have fused yet. X-rays also help us determine a younger or older victim. Younger x-rays show us a darker spot were the growth plates are still filled with cartilage.
Lastly we determine the height of our victim. This part is most likely the easiest part of the investigation analysis. We determine the height of the victim by looking at our major bones of the arm or leg. We can also determine the weight of the victim by the amount of weight that is in the bone mass. There are three major bones of the arm and the leg. The major bones of the arm are the humorous, ulna, and radius. The major bone of the leg are the femur, tibia, and fibula. We determine the height by measuring the length these major bone of the arm and leg.
From our analysis of the bones we concluded that our victim is male. By analyzing the remains we found the height of our victim is between 5 feet and 2-6 inches. We have narrowed our victim down to a few missing individuals from missing person reports in the area. The possible victims are Nathan Herron from Durango CO, age 16, and Miguel Soto, age 22.
Crime scene: # 2
Evidence being examined: victim’s skull
Forensic science used: Forensic Anthropology
Summary of evidence:
Forensic Anthropology is the method of combining the mixed theories of Anthropology, Osteology, and Archeology with legal methods. The role of a forensic anthropologist is varied from the collection of human remains and the analysis, also the identification of victims beyond recognition, the estimation of time since the victims death, this method also can establish injuries on the body and in some cases the cause of death. A forensic anthropologist is usually there when a body is in the late stages of decomposition or is completely skeletonized, and or unrecognizable by fire damage or other gruesome stuff. Sometimes these people are called in to help the excavation and analysis of human remains recently discovered. After the careful excavation, documentation and collection of the remains, they are cleaned up in preparation for the analysis. During the investigation the anthropologist will conduct a variety of examinations of the bones to help the determination of the identity of the victim. These examinations also provide an analysis of trauma or any damage to the bones.
Forensic anthropologist also have to determine the gender of the victim. There are some ways to determine this just from the surface of the remains, like the hair. If the hair is long it may be female but in some cases it can be male remains. Some ways to accurately determine the gender is to look at the pelvis of the victim’s body. If you are looking at it in the anterior view you can see that the bottom of the female pelvis is wider than the male pelvis. If you look at the pelvis from the superior view the sacrum is tilted back on the female pelvis and the sacrum is tilted forward on the male pelvis. Looking at the pelvis in the inferior view the female pelvis has a large pelvic outlet but the male pelvis has a small one.
After determining the gender of the victim anthropologist have to determine their race. By determining the victim’s race they look at primarily the mouth of the victim. The roof of the mouth contains a shape of some kind which helps us determine what race they are from. The African and European maxilla are somewhat similar but the African one is more wide and pointy at the end. The European one looks sort of round and skinny. Asian maxilla are round and somewhat small. These races can also be determined by the mouth bones of the person. The incisors of the mouth can be differed from shovel shaped or spatulate, or spatula shaped. There are three races that go to these, European and African are spatulate or spatula shaped, and the Asian race is shovel shaped.
The age of the victim is also important for the investigation. You can determine if the body is younger or older by just looking at its bones. You do this, for example by looking at its vertebrae and looking at if it looks young and good looking or arthritic and kind of scratched up. You also can indicate a younger human by analysis the skull. If the skill has more natural holes than filled in ones that it can be a younger victim. As we age our hole that are filled with cartilage become more and more filled in with bone. The pelvis of young person is made of three bones witch will be fused together later on. There 206 bones in an adult body but there are a much higher count in a younger person since not all of the bones have fused yet. X-rays also help us determine a younger or older victim. Younger x-rays show us a darker spot were the growth plates are still filled with cartilage.
Lastly we determine the height of our victim. This part is most likely the easiest part of the investigation analysis. We determine the height of the victim by looking at our major bones of the arm or leg. We can also determine the weight of the victim by the amount of weight that is in the bone mass. There are three major bones of the arm and the leg. The major bones of the arm are the humorous, ulna, and radius. The major bone of the leg are the femur, tibia, and fibula. We determine the height by measuring the length these major bone of the arm and leg.
From our analysis of the bones we concluded that our victim is male. By analyzing the remains we found the height of our victim is between 5 feet and 2-6 inches. We have narrowed our victim down to a few missing individuals from missing person reports in the area. The possible victims are Nathan Herron from Durango CO, age 16, and Miguel Soto, age 22.
Forensics Project Summary
During the forensics project we first went through the subject of exoneration and what that all means. Exonerated is when a person who was wrongfully convicted and sent to jail or prison is released by new DNA evidence provided in court after the person was convicted. When we went through this we talked about how some people are wrongfully convicted. This ranged from wrong eyewitness accounts wrongfully picked during a police line up or to incorrect DNA evidence. We then talked about the steps that are taken to be exonerated. After a person is convicted it may take years to discover and find new evidence proving the person is innocent. Usually a person is exonerated because of new DNA evidence not linking them to the crime or witnesses recover old memories of the experience in a different way than originally. DNA has improved the efficacy by bringing more detail and better quality of what had actually happened during the crime.
For my crime scene we mostly went through the analysis of forensic anthropology. Forensic anthropology is the study and analysis of skeletal remains. By going through this process we found possibly the cause of death which was gunshot trauma to the back of the head. We also used this process to determine the height and width of our victim by measuring the size of the bones. I also determined the race of the victim by looking at the upper jaw to see what type of shape the roof of his mouth was.
The forensic science that was most interesting to me me was forensic anthropology. I liked this science because we analyzed how the victim was killed and how we measured the bones to figure out the height of the victim. We also found out his race by looking at the shape of the roof of his mouth. I really did not like writing the reports but I felt like I did these well because I put time and knowledge into what I wrote. I feel like I did well because I wrote alot of scientific words and alot of detail into each report. I don’t really think I wanted to do better on something I just wish we went into more detail about why we put the bugs in the jar and how we really determined the race and specifics of our victim.
During the forensics project we first went through the subject of exoneration and what that all means. Exonerated is when a person who was wrongfully convicted and sent to jail or prison is released by new DNA evidence provided in court after the person was convicted. When we went through this we talked about how some people are wrongfully convicted. This ranged from wrong eyewitness accounts wrongfully picked during a police line up or to incorrect DNA evidence. We then talked about the steps that are taken to be exonerated. After a person is convicted it may take years to discover and find new evidence proving the person is innocent. Usually a person is exonerated because of new DNA evidence not linking them to the crime or witnesses recover old memories of the experience in a different way than originally. DNA has improved the efficacy by bringing more detail and better quality of what had actually happened during the crime.
For my crime scene we mostly went through the analysis of forensic anthropology. Forensic anthropology is the study and analysis of skeletal remains. By going through this process we found possibly the cause of death which was gunshot trauma to the back of the head. We also used this process to determine the height and width of our victim by measuring the size of the bones. I also determined the race of the victim by looking at the upper jaw to see what type of shape the roof of his mouth was.
The forensic science that was most interesting to me me was forensic anthropology. I liked this science because we analyzed how the victim was killed and how we measured the bones to figure out the height of the victim. We also found out his race by looking at the shape of the roof of his mouth. I really did not like writing the reports but I felt like I did these well because I put time and knowledge into what I wrote. I feel like I did well because I wrote alot of scientific words and alot of detail into each report. I don’t really think I wanted to do better on something I just wish we went into more detail about why we put the bugs in the jar and how we really determined the race and specifics of our victim.