What are the pros and cons of DNA fingerprinting?
117305
pro- good for crime solving. If someone left a hair folicle you can automatically look in a database of people. \n\ncon- if that information is released, health insurance companies might discriminate against unhealthy individuals based on their genome\n- it might be playing god by assigning people numbers instead of instrinsic value
103798
When DNA fingerprinting first began, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis was used, though it has been almost completely replaced with newer techniques. RFLP analysis is performed by using a restriction enzyme to cut the DNA into fragments which are separated into bands during agarose gel electrophoresis. Next, the bands of DNA are transferred via a technique called Southern blotting from the agarose gel to a nylon membrane. This is treated with a radioactively-labelled DNA probe which binds to certain specific DNA sequences on the membrane. The excess DNA probe is then washed off. An X-ray film placed next to the nylon membrane detects the radioactive pattern. This film is then developed to make a visible pattern of bands called DNA fingerprinting. By using multiple probes targeting various polymorphisms in successive X-ray images, a fairly high degree of discrimination was possible. The primary drawback of RFLP is that the exact sizes of the bands are unknown and comparison to a molecular weight ladder is done in a purely qualitative manner. Many labs developed policies that described what they considered a unique band, but it was not standardized and led to DNA fingerprinting coming under harsh attack in People v. Castro 545 N.Y.S. 2d. 985 (Sup. Ct. 1989). RFLP was a very time consuming method which required relatively high quantity of good quality DNA to be used (such as a dime sized blood drop). This made typing degraded samples such as those from evidence that had been exposed to the elements fairly difficult.
69828
"If performed correctly, DNA testing becomes a powerful and impartial tool, able to correctly identify any perpetrator in crimes where there is relevant biological evidence. As the technology advances and is applied in appropriate cases before trial, the chances of convicting an innocent person, at least where identity can be proven through biological evidence, is greatly diminished."
671171
Best possible advice: find out personally:\n\nhttp://ag.ca.gov/fingerprints/security.htm
829343
try reading the following\n\nhttp://computer.howstuffworks.com/fingerprint-scanner.htm/printable
722131
There are four basic patterns used to classify fingerprints -the arch, the loop and the whorl, and the composite (which is a combination of the arch, loop and whorl). If you think of a military map or a bushwalker's map, an "arch" is a gentle rise, a "loop" is a ridge, while a "whorl" is a solitary hill or peak.\nTo match one fingerprint to another fingerprint, the fingerprint officer has to find a certain number of recognisable features that are the same in each fingerprint - these are called similarities. In most countries, there have to be more than eight such similarities between the fingerprints, before they can be counted as admissible evidence.\n\nIdentical twins happen when a single fertilized egg splits into two embryos. Each of the embryos has identical DNA, so surely the new-born babies should greet the world with identical fingerprints?\nFingerprints are laid down between the 13th and the 19th week of growth in the womb. There are at least two factors that can give different fingerprints.\n\nFirst, the DNA doesn't make a perfect copy of itself every time it divides - it picks up mutations. To get from one single cell to the 10-100 trillion cells of a grown adult human, the DNA has to divide many many times. This gives ample opportunity for many mutations to accumulate.\nSecond, the mathematicians tell us that if the foetus had flattened finger pads, the baby is more likely to have the simpler arch pattern, or the slightly more complicated loop pattern. But on the other hand, if the foetus had swollen finger pads, baby is more likely to have the more complex whorl pattern of ridges. The two identical twins might grow in the same uterus, but they have different lengths and diameters of umbilical cord, so they will each get a different blood flow. The twin with the lesser blood flow will cut down the blood flow to the lower body, to preserve it for the brain. By an accident of anatomy, this gives more blood flowing into the arms. The baby ends up with proportionately bigger fingers, and more whorls in their fingerprints.\n\nIn 2003, a paper called On the similarity of identical twin fingerprints was published in The Journal of the Pattern Recognition Society. They found that the fingerprints of 94 "identical" twins were not identical - although they were more similar than non-related people. \nVarious organisations collect fingerprints, but the FBI probably has the biggest collection. They have over 200 million sets of fingerprints - but then, so does every house with small children!
1122259
The chemical structure of everyone's DNA is the same. The only difference between people (or any animal) is the order of the base pairs. There are so many millions of base pairs in each person's DNA that every person has a different sequence. \nUsing these sequences, every person could be identified solely by the sequence of their base pairs. However, because there are so many millions of base pairs, the task would be very time-consuming. Instead, scientists are able to use a shorter method, because of repeating patterns in DNA. \nThese patterns do not, however, give an individual "fingerprint," but they are able to determine whether two DNA samples are from the same person, related people, or non-related people. Scientists use a small number of sequences of DNA that are known to vary among individuals a great deal, and analyze those to get a certain probability of a match.
1023558
I think it is a mechanical technique.  The powder simply sticks in the oils from the skin left behind on the surface. I am not up on modern techniques, but perhaps some chemical reaction between the powder and some treated paper allows investigators to make copies of the prints.\n\nElectrophoresis is a technique where an applied electric field causes charged molecules to move through a medium; usually a gel these days but paper used to be used.  Larger molecules tend to move more slowly, and more highly charged molecules will move more quickly, so you can separate compounds.  I don't see how this might be used in fingerprinting.
281294
yes, the quality might not be great but polymerase chain reaction can increase the amount of DNA to an amount that can be used for analysis.
286912
--good--\n-easy body identification if it's damaged beyond recognition in an accident of if some psycho-killer finds ye alone in an alley.\n-not having to carry y'wallet on ye, makes it harder to rob a person.\n\n--bad--\n-theft, instead of stealing one's wallet, will adapt to include the theft of limbs, instead.\n-the way static electricity haunts me, the chip would probably explode the first time i tried to tough the metal doorknob.  hahah!\n-certain of the more psychotic factions of You Know What would start screaming "mark of the beast!" and probably revolt.
771694
Each person has their very own specific fingerprints- noones is the same at all.  This helps to identify ALOT of criminals and when they find one at a murder scene say- they can lift the print and run it through their data base and find the moron who killed an innocent person!  Noones is the same at all- people have tried to burn their prints off or cut the tips of their finger tips to make them different but now alot of DNA testing is better when u find a palm print as well as the finger print.  We all kind of write with our hand resting on the paper so it can also be used to find a criminal!
63266
Biometrics are frequently used in high-tech high-security installations. In certain situations, such as access to a computer, your fingerprint in a reader (for example) grants you access instead of the use of a password.\n\nThe trouble is, biometric data is not really as reliable as some people think. Recent articles have mentioned that some biometric fingerprint readers can be fooled by fingerprint impressions taken in Play-Doh.
261054
That would be a violation of HIPPA, which provides protection for our medical records. I do believe that law enforcement officials can search for DNA matches of those who have given samples, but civilians cannot and, I believe, should not be able to. Your DNA is similar to those you are related to: your mother, father, siblings. Humans also share basic DNA sequences.
90735
Fingerprinting >\n\nn : The procedure of taking inked impressions of a person's fingerprints for the purpose of identification.
454336
The main disadvantage would be in case the pictures got into the wrong hands. Alot of strange people out there. If used carefully I would say there are more advantages.
274016
Without doubt DNA - (de-oxy-ribo-nu-cleic-acid) has become the greatest aid to police investigation since the formulation of finger-printing.  Not only does it prove beyond doubt that a person was responsible for a crime but more importantly it can prove that the suspect is innocent.  Only the tip of the iceberg has been touched so far and the process will continue to become even a greater aid in the future.  Air samples from the scene of a major crime will in the future be able to be analyzed and DNA extracted from the air.   As the National Data-base for DNA gets larger there will be no hiding place for those responsible for some of the most serious crimes that are currently hardest to prove.
438481
Fingerprinting is simple. All recruits to the Police Service are trained to do so.  However, the difficult bit is the 'lifting' at the scene of a crime, the examination and identification of the suspect.  You have to be an expert to give evidence about fingerprints at Court.  Nowadays there is an automatic retrieval and identification system by computer.  This provides a suspect or suspects for the crime.  The expert then examines those and makes a positive identification for court purposes.