RNA- and DNA-Based Identification of Body Fluids
The most common form of evidence to forensic investigators is the body fluids collected at crime scenes. They ascertain the suspect or victim, they provide valuable DNA evidences and can play a vital role in acquit an innocent individual. The determinatio
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RNA- and DNA-Based Identification of Body Fluids Arjun Rao, Manisha Rana, Ashish Pradhan, and Moumita Sinha
Abstract
The most common form of evidence to forensic investigators is the body fluids collected at crime scenes. They ascertain the suspect or victim, they provide valuable DNA evidences and can play a vital role in acquit an innocent individual. The determination of a specific bodily fluid is predominantly the initial step as the body fluid composition is very relevant to the further investigation process. The ability to identify and report an unexplained stain at the scene of crime without waiting for the laboratory results is another very important phase in the forensic body fluids analysis. Many forms of detection methods for body fluids have been known for over a century, such as alternative light source, immunological tests, spectroscopic techniques, chemical methods, catalytic tests, and microscopic methods. Although these modern forms of detection of body fluids are often definitive, these are done at a time with only one body fluid. Currently the usage of molecular genetic based approaches using DNA methylation detection or RNA-based profiling methods has recently conquered to replace the traditional body fluids identification methods. Keywords
Blood · Saliva · Semen · Forensic · RNA · DNA
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Introduction
Individual’s involvement in a crime can be detected and identified by the body fluids traced at the crime scene event. These types of evidences found at the scene of crime are among the most ubiquitous in nature especially to forensic investigation A. Rao (*) · M. Rana · A. Pradhan · M. Sinha Department of Forensic Science, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Bilaspur, CG, India # Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020 P. Shrivastava et al. (eds.), Forensic DNA Typing: Principles, Applications and Advancements, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6655-4_5
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purposes. Body fluids identification and detection is a vital part in forensic practices; however, many biological fluids are invisibly present in the crime scene or present in very small quantity due to which the easily identification is not possible. The presence of biological fluids not only provides type and origin of the samples but also provides clues in reconstructing crime scene and linkages between innocent and actual criminalists. Biological fluids like blood (including menstrual stains), semen, saliva, urine and vaginal stains, skin, and tissues are the prime interest of forensic scientists in various crime cases. In a crime scene approach the identity of these biological fluids are not straightforward, due to their invisible presence in very minute quantities. For the identification of sequence of events at the crime scene, these biological fluids can be used as crucial indicators. Such as blood stains are a strong indicator of murder, some form of assault, or struggle, whereas upon the detection of semen or vaginal stains able to specify physical and or sexual assault. After potential identification of body fluids at scene of crime,
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