Blog#13 How has DNA changed how we investigate crimes? What are the two main tests? Describe them

DNA has helped people solved crimes more faster and easier. Such as a strand of hair left behind at a crime scene can be used for DNA testing to find out who the strand of hair belongs to. The two main tests are RFLP and PCR testing. RFLP testing requires larger amount of DNA and the DNA must be undegraded. Crime-scene evidence that is old or that is present in small amounts are often unsuitable for RFLP testing. PCR testing often require less DNA than RFLP testing and the DNA may be partially degraded. PCR tests are also extremely sensitive to contaminating DNA at a crime scene and within the test laboratory. PCR is less direct and somewhat more prone to error than RFLP. However, PCR has tended to replace RFLP in forensic testing primarily because PCR based tests are faster and more sensitive.