Forensic Medicine

Abstract

Forensic science is a link between science and law. As the criminals became smarter, the methods of identifying criminals like photographs and fingerprint did not worked. The forensic science came as a rescue for crime investigating agencies and police, for seizing the criminals and culprits and resolving disputes related to paternity and crime. Years back, it was realized that small portions from the skin can be used for identification of an individual by unique signatures known as DNA fingerprint that laid the foundation for this interesting and highly technical branch of forensics. The important functions of forensic laboratories are to undertake diverse laboratory examination of physical evidence material and therefore to provide reliable and irrefutable circumstantial evidence providing or strengthening the links in the chain of evidences to detect the guilty or clear the innocent and responsibility of providing a meaningful report in a meaningful time frame. It helps in the investigation of crime through scientific guidance by using appropriate scientific aid within and beyond the laboratory. This chapter focuses on identification of various body fluids, technique of DNA fingerprint, DNA profiling, and DNA methylamine-based methods for individual identification.