What is DNA Typing?
DNA typing is a method in which our genetic material (DNA) is converted into a barcode that, ultimately distinguishes each of us from nearly everyone else on earth. DNA is easily recovered from many sources, so that criminals often unwittingly leave their DNA at crime scenes, and the DNA of victims is even sometimes carried away on the clothes of their assailants. By using DNA, we are thus often able to place individuals at crime scenes, and in the case of rape, are able to identify the man who “provided” the sperm. Recent numbers. By 1990, DNA technology had been used in over 2000 court cases in the U.S., encompassing 49 states and Washington D.C. The October 12, 1991 Austin American Statesman reported that Williamson County’s first use of DNA typing had just resulted in the conviction of a rape suspect, who was sentenced to 99 years in prison. Not all DNA typing has led to convictions, however, and the news nowadays more often reports the release of someone in prison (often having se
