Content:
For this project, our class groups were assigned to figure out who murdered a man by the alias of "Carleton Comet", and once we acquired all the sufficient evidence, we had to present it in front of the grand jury, who would then determine whether we got an arrest warrant for the suspect or not. We went about doing this by analyzing multiple pieces of evidence that were found on the "crime scene", which included running ink chromatography on a set of three pen samples found at the scene, running gel electrophoresis on the DNA samples found at the scene compared to the DNA of the suspects, comparing the blood types of each suspect to those found on the scene, lifting a fingerprint from a glass on the scene, and examining each of the suspect's pedigrees and karyotypes. We compared the different pens by placing a dot on a piece of chromatography paper, which we then placed in isopropyl alcohol. As the liquid diffused up the paper, it would carry the ink along with it to a certain extent. From the difference between the height of the alcohol and the height of spots of ink on the paper, we were able to determine the retention factors from each pen, and from the naked eye, we were able to match the patterns of each sample to the unknown we were provided. For the DNA gel electrophoresis, we utilized the fact that DNA is negatively charged and when an electrical current is run through a box containing the agarose gel with the samples and TAE buffer, the DNA will separate out based on their lengths. By comparing the patterns made by the dispersion of each DNA sample to the two unknowns that we found on the scene, we were able to determine whose DNA was found on the murder weapon apart from the victim's DNA. Next, we examined and tested the blood type of each of the suspects, as well as the two blood samples that were found on the knife used to kill Comet, by adding to antiserums to two different wells of the same blood. If it was an anti-A serum, then blood that was A-type would clot, and if it were anti-B, then B-type blood would clot. If we added anti-A to one well of blood and anti-B to another well of the same blood and they both clotted, that meant that the person had type-AB blood, and if neither sample clotted, then the blood would be type-O. With this, we were able to identify the second blood sample and show how only one other person apart from the victim was bleeding at the time of the murder. The importance of the last two pieces of analysis, the pedigree and karyotype, was to show whether any genetic diseases, such as Huntington's and Marfan Syndrome, ran in the family, or if the suspects had any chromosomal diseases that could be linked back into the case. Apart from the forensic science, we also involved a bit of law in this project, since we had to determine what crime the perpetrator had to be charged with, whether it was first degree murder, second degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, or involuntary manslaughter, and establish a motive for the murderer to prove that he or she was actually guilty of the charge we proposed.
Our Presentation:
For this project, our class groups were assigned to figure out who murdered a man by the alias of "Carleton Comet", and once we acquired all the sufficient evidence, we had to present it in front of the grand jury, who would then determine whether we got an arrest warrant for the suspect or not. We went about doing this by analyzing multiple pieces of evidence that were found on the "crime scene", which included running ink chromatography on a set of three pen samples found at the scene, running gel electrophoresis on the DNA samples found at the scene compared to the DNA of the suspects, comparing the blood types of each suspect to those found on the scene, lifting a fingerprint from a glass on the scene, and examining each of the suspect's pedigrees and karyotypes. We compared the different pens by placing a dot on a piece of chromatography paper, which we then placed in isopropyl alcohol. As the liquid diffused up the paper, it would carry the ink along with it to a certain extent. From the difference between the height of the alcohol and the height of spots of ink on the paper, we were able to determine the retention factors from each pen, and from the naked eye, we were able to match the patterns of each sample to the unknown we were provided. For the DNA gel electrophoresis, we utilized the fact that DNA is negatively charged and when an electrical current is run through a box containing the agarose gel with the samples and TAE buffer, the DNA will separate out based on their lengths. By comparing the patterns made by the dispersion of each DNA sample to the two unknowns that we found on the scene, we were able to determine whose DNA was found on the murder weapon apart from the victim's DNA. Next, we examined and tested the blood type of each of the suspects, as well as the two blood samples that were found on the knife used to kill Comet, by adding to antiserums to two different wells of the same blood. If it was an anti-A serum, then blood that was A-type would clot, and if it were anti-B, then B-type blood would clot. If we added anti-A to one well of blood and anti-B to another well of the same blood and they both clotted, that meant that the person had type-AB blood, and if neither sample clotted, then the blood would be type-O. With this, we were able to identify the second blood sample and show how only one other person apart from the victim was bleeding at the time of the murder. The importance of the last two pieces of analysis, the pedigree and karyotype, was to show whether any genetic diseases, such as Huntington's and Marfan Syndrome, ran in the family, or if the suspects had any chromosomal diseases that could be linked back into the case. Apart from the forensic science, we also involved a bit of law in this project, since we had to determine what crime the perpetrator had to be charged with, whether it was first degree murder, second degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, or involuntary manslaughter, and establish a motive for the murderer to prove that he or she was actually guilty of the charge we proposed.
Our Presentation:
Concepts:
Karyotypes- The general appearance and arrangement of a person's chromosomes, which could be used to identify any chromosomal diseases.
XXX Syndrome- The presence of an extra X chromosome in a woman, which results in a lowered IQ, speech impediments, learning disabilities, and less emotional and behavioral control.
XXY Syndrome- The presence of an extra X chromosome in a man, which results in slight bodily disfigurement, infertility, and the development of breasts.
XYY Syndrome- The presence of an extra Y chromosome in a man, resulting in weak muscle tone, impaired motor skills, developmental issues, and difficult speech.
Down Syndrome- The presence of an extra 21st chromosome, resulting in impairments to physical and mental development, poor muscle tone, unproportioned facial features, and eyesight issues.
Pedigree- A chart of a person's family history, used to track and determine the presence or likelihood of a person inheriting a genetic disease.
Huntington's- A hereditary disorder resulting in the deterioration of nerve cells, leading to personality changes, anxiety, aggressive behavior, delusions, and mood swings.
Marfan Syndrome- A genetic disorder affecting a person's connective tissue, resulting in distorted facial appearances, eye problems, the crowding of teeth, a thin body, and disproportioned arms, toes, and fingers.
Dominant- An allele which, when present in a pair of alleles, will be expressed regardless of the pairing.
Recessive- An allele which, when present in a pair of alleles, can only be expressed when both alleles are recessive.
Gel Electrophoresis- The technique of separating DNA by component length using an agarose gel, TAE buffer, and electricity to draw the DNA towards the positive end through the gel.
DNA- Deoxyribonucleic acid, which is the building block of the human genome and determines everything about us, from size to gender to hair color.
Blood Types- A, B, AB, or O, based on the presence of antigens on the red blood cells. Antibodies react by attaching to the respective antigen, so a person with A-type blood would not be able to give blood to a person with B-type blood, as the second person's antibodies would attack the A-type blood.
Homicide- The murder of another human being.
First-Degree Murder- Any unlawful killing that is both willful and premeditated. (Eg. Assassinating someone, or coming up with a plan to murder them and carrying it out.)
Second-Degree Murder- An intentional killing that is not premeditated nor committed in the heat of the moment or caused by dangerous conduct and the offender's lack of concern for human life. (Eg. A person is trying to shoot someone, but another person gets caught in the crossfire.)
Third-Degree Murder- Any intentional killing that involves no prior intent to kill, and which was committed under such circumstances that would cause a reasonable person to be disturbed or traumatized. (Eg. A man gets in a bar fight after learning that his wife has been cheating on him with his best friend, and the fight results in the death of the "friend".)
Fourth-Degree Murder- A killing that stems from a lack of intention to cause death but involving an intentional, or negligent, act leading to death. (Eg. A person gets drunk, and knowing that they are intoxicated, go driving out on the highway and crash into a car, resulting in the death of the other driver.)
Ink Chromatography- A process that can be used to separate the components of the ink of a pen, accomplished by placing a strip of chromatography paper with an ink dot in some alcohol, which would diffuse upwards and carry the ink along with it.
Reflection:
So far this year, this has been my favorite project. We were able to delve into the more hands-on part of biology, especially during the gel electrophoresis component of analyzing the DNA, and we actually got to do other labs that we haven't been able to do, with the exception of the strawberry/salmon DNA lab. We weren't forced to rush on our project for once, and so to me, that seems like a large improvement in terms of our work ethic and how much we are able to accomplish in a given period of time, or basically how efficient we are when we work. The first peak of this project is the fact that we were able to make a large number of improvements to our presentation in a relatively short amount of time, and we didn't make the changes quickly because we were pressed for time, rather we made all these changes rapidly because all three of us worked diligently. Our second peak is that our labs and analyses themselves were successful for the most part, and I felt that we were able to make parts of our presentation invariably more effective because of how well we linked each piece of evidence to the impact that it had on the case. The pits were few and far between, but there were two small things that we, as a group, and I, myself, could have improved on. The first pit is that our gel electrophoresis did not produce a clear result, and so we were reliant on the key for the different DNA that we received rather than the empirical evidence that we should have been able to gather from the test. The second pit was the fact that we were limited in terms of what evidence we could have used, and as a result, our arguments were not as strong as they could have been if we were able to get statements from each of the witnesses as to what they all saw and their relationships with one another. If there were some things that we could do better next time, it would be to practice our presentation more and work out all the kinks and typos so that our argumentation is more effective and better at convincing the jury to grant us a warrant. Throughout this project, I learned many crucial facets of forensic science that I wasn't quite aware of before, regarding the importance of validating the evidence in court and the various techniques that are required in order to attain the most information. I also learned how to formulate a good argument, the way that it should be structured, and the importance of a person's delivery during a presentation or a speech, and I also gained a somewhat better understanding of the degrees and murder because of the research that we put into it.
Karyotypes- The general appearance and arrangement of a person's chromosomes, which could be used to identify any chromosomal diseases.
XXX Syndrome- The presence of an extra X chromosome in a woman, which results in a lowered IQ, speech impediments, learning disabilities, and less emotional and behavioral control.
XXY Syndrome- The presence of an extra X chromosome in a man, which results in slight bodily disfigurement, infertility, and the development of breasts.
XYY Syndrome- The presence of an extra Y chromosome in a man, resulting in weak muscle tone, impaired motor skills, developmental issues, and difficult speech.
Down Syndrome- The presence of an extra 21st chromosome, resulting in impairments to physical and mental development, poor muscle tone, unproportioned facial features, and eyesight issues.
Pedigree- A chart of a person's family history, used to track and determine the presence or likelihood of a person inheriting a genetic disease.
Huntington's- A hereditary disorder resulting in the deterioration of nerve cells, leading to personality changes, anxiety, aggressive behavior, delusions, and mood swings.
Marfan Syndrome- A genetic disorder affecting a person's connective tissue, resulting in distorted facial appearances, eye problems, the crowding of teeth, a thin body, and disproportioned arms, toes, and fingers.
Dominant- An allele which, when present in a pair of alleles, will be expressed regardless of the pairing.
Recessive- An allele which, when present in a pair of alleles, can only be expressed when both alleles are recessive.
Gel Electrophoresis- The technique of separating DNA by component length using an agarose gel, TAE buffer, and electricity to draw the DNA towards the positive end through the gel.
DNA- Deoxyribonucleic acid, which is the building block of the human genome and determines everything about us, from size to gender to hair color.
Blood Types- A, B, AB, or O, based on the presence of antigens on the red blood cells. Antibodies react by attaching to the respective antigen, so a person with A-type blood would not be able to give blood to a person with B-type blood, as the second person's antibodies would attack the A-type blood.
Homicide- The murder of another human being.
First-Degree Murder- Any unlawful killing that is both willful and premeditated. (Eg. Assassinating someone, or coming up with a plan to murder them and carrying it out.)
Second-Degree Murder- An intentional killing that is not premeditated nor committed in the heat of the moment or caused by dangerous conduct and the offender's lack of concern for human life. (Eg. A person is trying to shoot someone, but another person gets caught in the crossfire.)
Third-Degree Murder- Any intentional killing that involves no prior intent to kill, and which was committed under such circumstances that would cause a reasonable person to be disturbed or traumatized. (Eg. A man gets in a bar fight after learning that his wife has been cheating on him with his best friend, and the fight results in the death of the "friend".)
Fourth-Degree Murder- A killing that stems from a lack of intention to cause death but involving an intentional, or negligent, act leading to death. (Eg. A person gets drunk, and knowing that they are intoxicated, go driving out on the highway and crash into a car, resulting in the death of the other driver.)
Ink Chromatography- A process that can be used to separate the components of the ink of a pen, accomplished by placing a strip of chromatography paper with an ink dot in some alcohol, which would diffuse upwards and carry the ink along with it.
Reflection:
So far this year, this has been my favorite project. We were able to delve into the more hands-on part of biology, especially during the gel electrophoresis component of analyzing the DNA, and we actually got to do other labs that we haven't been able to do, with the exception of the strawberry/salmon DNA lab. We weren't forced to rush on our project for once, and so to me, that seems like a large improvement in terms of our work ethic and how much we are able to accomplish in a given period of time, or basically how efficient we are when we work. The first peak of this project is the fact that we were able to make a large number of improvements to our presentation in a relatively short amount of time, and we didn't make the changes quickly because we were pressed for time, rather we made all these changes rapidly because all three of us worked diligently. Our second peak is that our labs and analyses themselves were successful for the most part, and I felt that we were able to make parts of our presentation invariably more effective because of how well we linked each piece of evidence to the impact that it had on the case. The pits were few and far between, but there were two small things that we, as a group, and I, myself, could have improved on. The first pit is that our gel electrophoresis did not produce a clear result, and so we were reliant on the key for the different DNA that we received rather than the empirical evidence that we should have been able to gather from the test. The second pit was the fact that we were limited in terms of what evidence we could have used, and as a result, our arguments were not as strong as they could have been if we were able to get statements from each of the witnesses as to what they all saw and their relationships with one another. If there were some things that we could do better next time, it would be to practice our presentation more and work out all the kinks and typos so that our argumentation is more effective and better at convincing the jury to grant us a warrant. Throughout this project, I learned many crucial facets of forensic science that I wasn't quite aware of before, regarding the importance of validating the evidence in court and the various techniques that are required in order to attain the most information. I also learned how to formulate a good argument, the way that it should be structured, and the importance of a person's delivery during a presentation or a speech, and I also gained a somewhat better understanding of the degrees and murder because of the research that we put into it.