DNA, the new criminal investigatorSummaryWhat is DNA? The scientific definition is "deoxyribonucleic acid, the biological polymer that stores genetic information in all free living organisms." Two linear molecules intertwine to form the double helix. Now that the definition has been stated, let's now define what DNA means to a crime scene or investigator. In the law enforcement sector, DNA has been introduced as an accurate, revolutionary and effective tool, to solve and resolve modern and cold cases. He also played a major role in courtrooms across the country, either proving guilt or revealing the truth behind the innocence of those wrongly accused and convicted by our own justice system. DNA also brought justice to those who were brutally raped and sexually abused by atrocious, complicit sexual predators. DNA, the new crime investigator “DNA was discovered in 1868,” around the same time that the laws of heredity were written by Gregor. Mendel who laid the foundations for the modern science of genetics. A major breakthrough that ultimately made forensic uses of DNA possible occurred in the early 1950s when James Watson and Francis Crick solved the riddle of the structure of DNA and precipitated the revolution in molecular biology that followed. In solving the riddle, they formed the basis of our modern DNA analyzes used in forensic science today. (2) Some of the characteristics that make DNA unique in its uses are: • Each person has a unique DNA profile • Each person's DNA is the same in every cell • An individual's DNA profile remains the same throughout one's life • Most DNA is the same on the part of the person in middle of paper ......looks for you in the CODIS backlog system.References1. DNA, the forensic tool of the 90s. (2008). In Britannica Book of the Year, 2000. Retrieved January 21, 2008 from Encyclopedia Britannica Online; http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-93423412. Coleman, H., Swenson, E. (1994). DNA in the Courtroom, A Trail Spotter's Guide. Seattle, Washington; GeneLex Press.3. Lyman, M.D. (2008). Criminal Investigation The Art and Science, 5th Edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey; Prentice Hall.4. Owen, D. (2000). Hidden evidence. Buffalo, New York; Firefly Books (USA) Inc.5. Terrain, R. (2003). Crime Scene, the ultimate guide to forensic science. New York, New York; Éditions DK Inc..