User:WRössmann/Forensic biology

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Forensic biology is the application of biological principles and techniques in the investigation of criminal and civil cases.

Forensic biology primarily consists of the analysis of biological and serological evidence in order to obtain a DNA profile, of which, aids law enforcement in the identification of potential suspects or unidentified remains. This field encompasses various sub-branches, including forensic anthropology, forensic entomology, forensic odontology, forensic pathology, and forensic toxicology.

Sexual assault kit backlog
As DNA is a critical form of evidence in the investigation of cases of sexual violence, the backlog of untested sexual assault kits (SAKs), also known as a rape kit, greatly affects the successful identification and prosecution of the perpetrators of these crimes. According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), the largest anti-sexual violence organization in the United States, the backlog is the result of both a failure of law enforcement to send collected kits to forensic laboratories for analysis, and a lack of resources within these labs to process the kits effectively. In the absence of adequate funding, many districts would rather dedicate their funds to homicides or more high-profile cases, and cases of sexual violence are often swept to the side. With this, as the SAKs remain in storage, the prevalence of the issue increases, especially as more and more kits are being found each year.

Water sample analysis
In cases involving a body of water at or near the scene of a crime, a sample of the water can be extracted and analyzed under a light microscope for microorganisms. One such microorganism that are analyzed within samples of fresh water are diatoms, microscopic algae of varying shapes. Different bodies of water have been found to contain unique sets of diatoms and therefore, a piece of evidence found in a specific body of water will contain unique diatoms on it found only in that specific body of water. Therefore, the diatoms on a questioned object or body can be compared to the diatoms from a body of water to determine whether it had been present in the water.