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Review
. 2021 Oct 28;12(11):1728.
doi: 10.3390/genes12111728.

On the Identification of Body Fluids and Tissues: A Crucial Link in the Investigation and Solution of Crime

Titia Sijen  1   2 , SallyAnn Harbison  3   4
Affiliations
Review

On the Identification of Body Fluids and Tissues: A Crucial Link in the Investigation and Solution of Crime

Titia Sijen et al. Genes (Basel). .

Abstract

Body fluid and body tissue identification are important in forensic science as they can provide key evidence in a criminal investigation and may assist the court in reaching conclusions. Establishing a link between identifying the fluid or tissue and the DNA profile adds further weight to this evidence. Many forensic laboratories retain techniques for the identification of biological fluids that have been widely used for some time. More recently, many different biomarkers and technologies have been proposed for identification of body fluids and tissues of forensic relevance some of which are now used in forensic casework. Here, we summarize the role of body fluid/ tissue identification in the evaluation of forensic evidence, describe how such evidence is detected at the crime scene and in the laboratory, elaborate different technologies available to do this, and reflect real life experiences. We explain how, by including this information, crucial links can be made to aid in the investigation and solution of crime.

Keywords: DNA methylation; activity level; body fluid; forensic; identification; mRNA; organ; review; tissue.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Stain identification in the context of the forensic process showing the link between ‘who’, ‘what’ and ‘how’.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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