WorksheetsDNA Evidence worksheet
Total questions: 8
Worksheet time: 4mins
Why is the use of DNA evidence in solving crimes growing rapidly around the world?
Because DNA profiling can identify individuals with very high specificity and improved technology has made testing widely available
Because DNA tests are free and require no specialized equipment or training
Because DNA evidence cannot be contaminated and is always perfect
Because DNA analysis replaces all other types of forensic evidence
Select all types of cases in which DNA analysis is commonly used.
Sexual assault investigations
Paternity and kinship determinations
Homicide and violent crime investigations
Missing persons and disaster victim identification
Parking or meter violations
Select the items that are commonly tested to obtain DNA in forensic investigations.
Bloodstains
Semen
Saliva on items such as envelopes or bottles
Hair with attached root
Fingerprint powder
What are variable number tandem repeats (VNTRs)?
Short DNA sequence motifs repeated head-to-tail a variable number of times at specific loci
Proteins that vary in the number of amino acids and repeat along chromosomes
RNA segments that fold into repeating hairpin loops
Mitochondrial membranes that repeat at variable intervals
For DNA evidence to be admissible in court, it must meet which requirements? Select all that apply.
Collected, preserved, and stored using proper procedures to minimize contamination
Maintained with a documented and secure chain of custody
Analyzed using validated methods that are generally accepted by the scientific community
Processed and interpreted by qualified personnel in accredited laboratories
Posted publicly so the defense can download raw data without restriction
Choose the correct typical sequence of the four laboratory steps used to examine DNA evidence.
Extraction → Quantitation → Amplification (PCR) → Separation/analysis to generate a profile
Amplification (PCR) → Extraction → Quantitation → Separation/analysis
Quantitation → Separation/analysis → Extraction → Amplification (PCR)
Separation/analysis → Extraction → Amplification (PCR) → Quantitation
What are the two major functions of CODIS? Select all that apply.
Store and share DNA profiles from offenders and crime scenes
Enable electronic comparisons to find matches across jurisdictions
Provide real-time phenotypic predictions to generate suspect sketches
Calculate the probability of guilt for prosecutors
License forensic laboratories at the federal level
What is the Innocence Project?
A nonprofit initiative that uses DNA testing to help exonerate wrongfully convicted individuals and seeks criminal justice reforms
A federal database that stores DNA profiles from convicted offenders
A laboratory accreditation program for forensic scientists
A policing strategy that prioritizes DNA collection over all other evidence
