Forensic Science is a branch of science that deals with applying scientific knowledge and technique to legal issues.
FREMONT, CA: An introduction to Forensic Science defines it as "The application of science to those criminal and civil laws implemented by the police agencies in a criminal justice system." Forensic Science deals with applying the knowledge and methodology of several branches of science to legal concerns. It incorporates several disciplines such as physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, and engineering for evidence analysis. For instance, physics is utilized to comprehend the pattern of blood splatter, biology to establish the source of an unidentified suspect, and chemistry to determine the makeup of narcotics. Thus, the significance of forensic science in criminal justice and the legal system is vitally critical but is often overlooked.
Forensic Biology/DNA: Apart from fingerprint analysis, DNA profiling is the other extensively utilized forensic tool in criminal investigations. DNA being unique to an individual as fingerprints allow forensic professionals to identify or confirm an unidentified person or remove suspects from a list of accused. The biological evidence most typically utilized for DNA profiling includes blood, saliva, semen, skin, urine, and hair. However, DNA fingerprints are usually never used as a single piece of evidence in a court of law.
Forensic Odontology: Forensic odontology helps identify victims when the body is left in an unidentifiable state. This is performed by inspecting their teeth, the alignment, and the overall anatomy of the mouth. Forensic dentists or odontologists aid in the comparative identification of a person by studying the development and architecture of the teeth, including any restorative dental repairs such as a filling. It is widely employed in criminal investigations for bite mark analysis.
Controlled Substances: Chemicals legally recognized as having the potential for abuse are called controlled substances. This includes "street drugs" such as ecstasy or heroin and prescription medicines such as oxycodone. The ability to detect and identify such banned substances plays a key role in supporting law enforcement organizations in to fight against drug abuse and drug-based violence.
Forensic Toxicology: Forensic Toxicology involves the study of biological materials to check for the presence of poisons and pharmaceuticals. This forensic science discipline is essential in traffic accidents, poisoning, sexual violence, etc. The toxicology reports supply crucial information concerning the kind of substances present in an individual relevant to an event. It also assesses whether the number of chemicals is normal as per a therapeutic dosage or exceeds the allowable threshold. Since new varieties of drugs are developed each day, this sector of forensic science is ever-evolving and necessitates up-to-date methods.
Forensic Anthropology: This deals with analyzing compromised human remains or skeletons to help determine age, height, gender, and ancestry. It also helps establish the period since death by finding and evaluating injuries. These tests give crucial leads to investigators in identifying victims, especially in cases where the bodies are beyond identification.
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