Fingerprints

Hello!

Today I'm going to be telling you about fingerprints. FIngerprints are unique to everyone, even identical twins.

they are important in solving most crimes, and are also great in the identification of a victim or criminal.

 Detectives will use different colored powders depending on the color of the surface, and different sizes of brushes to record prints from surfaces. Also they will use magnetic powder and a metal wand. To lift prints off of surfaces, they'll use clear tape, and to gather prints from actual  fingers, they'll use ink. 

There are 4 different basic fingerprint patterns, Whorl, Left Loop, Right Loop, and Arch. There is many more fancy termed patterns, but for now I'll just stick with the basic ones.

Did you know that before fingerprints were used to solve crimes, they were used to sign documents and important papers? That kept up until Sir William Herschel published a report that changed the mystical world of fingerprints forever.

I've even done some work on fingerprints so far this year! I took my own, and even my families fingerprints! Taking fingerprints are easier said than done so I wouldn't recommend doing it on your own!

Before: Taking First print

After: Viewing first recorded print.




I hope you've learned something today!

Over and Out!
Elise

Bugs.

Hello!
Today I'm going to tell you about bugs!

—Bugs can tell scientists when a victim died by what creatures have inhabited the body. First the blowflies come in, then beetles, then wasps, then ants and roaches, and finally the moths. 

Bugs inhabit the corpse for food, and a place to lay their eggs. Eggs are first laid by female blowflies. Then the eggs turn into maggots. Then after about 3 weeks, they cocoon themselves, and turn into adult blowflies.

Scientists rely on these bugs to tell when a victim died, for example, if there was a natural disaster, like a hurricane, and police find a body, the bugs that are in it tell if the person was a victim  of the hurricane, or something else before hand.

Hope you learned somthing today!

Over & Out!

Elise

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Face Reconstruction

Hello!

Today I'm going to tell you about face reconstruction. People perform face reconstruction when there is fires and there are only bones left, they publish an ad in the newspaper with the face on it so that friends or family can give more information about the victim. 

The traditional way to perform this act was to:

1. Insert depth pegs into a cast of the skull
2. Sculpt or draw in the underlying facial muscles and tissue
3. Completely cover the pegs and smooth skin,(clay) over it
4. Add hair, eyes, and color the skin and all of the features they just added. 

That was the traditional, non-modern way of doing it, and it could take days or weeks to complete. The modern way, which would take about one day to make. Here are the steps:

1. The skull is scanned by a laser and the scan is then sent to a computer database
2. The user of the computer will then mark the points where the scan needs to be altered to match the real skull
3. It is matched with a replica of the real skull and the changes are made
4. Then, electronically, face muscles and skin is added
5. Then a 3-D model of the face is printed
6. Then a photo of a person with the same features is wrapped around the face.

I hope you learned something today!

Over & Out!

Elise

Interview!!!!

 Hello!

Below is questions and answers about what Heather Murphy, who is a nurse specialist, does. Read on to learn more!

Please see my answers to your questions below.

1)WHAT DO YOU DO?

I am a nurse specialist in the Quality Department at BARD Access Systems. I am responsible for gathering information needed to investigate events involving our products.

2)WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PART?

My job is to assist facilities determine how to best utilize our products to improve the quality of life of patients.

3)WHAT'S THE MOST INTERESTING PART?

The investigation and evaluation of the root cause of the event. (Figuring out what happened).

4)WHAT TOOLS DO YOU USE?

Knowledge of medical practices and intended use of our products as well as microscopes and other laboratory equipment to examine products.

5)WHAT IS THE CREEPY PARTS?

I have been an Intensive Care Nurse for 13 years so this job is not so creepy. J I have seen worse in the hospital.

Please let me know if you have any additional questions.

Good luck with your project. Before becoming a nurse I was pursuing a behavioral science degree in criminology. Forensics is an amazing field with so many different applications.

Heather

Is her job interesting or what?! I hope you learned something from this interview!

Over & Out!

Elise

DNA Model

Hello!

I just wanted to say that on April 18 I successfully completed an almost 2 foot tall model of DNA! It will be my 3D piece for the school project I've been telling you about and was very fun to make!
Below are some pictures of making it.

Over & Out!
Elise

Hello!

Just checking in! I wanted to say that I'm starting my power point for my school project soon and I'm working on building a huge model of DNA to show!! I will be interviewing another forensic specialist who studies investigations so keep a lookout for a new post featuring her.

Over&Out!
Elise

Firearms: Identification

Rifling scratches a bullet and makes it as genuine as a fingerprint. Also when the  gunman pulls  the trigger tiny bits of explosive, called gunshot residue, sprays out onto the gunners hands. If a suspect is interviewed after a crime, his hands might be swabbed with a special chemical to show if he has fired a gun recently.

What Gun?
Each brand and type of gun has it's own rifling, so forensic scientists might fire a gun of the same type and see if the rifling on the bullet matches. If they match, they will search a suspect for any weapons.

Where?
Where the killer and the victim were standing is also a important clue. Cartridge cases are fired right behind the bullet and will land at the gunners feet, showing were the killer and the victim were standing.

Over & Out! 

Elise

Firearms: Different Kinds

There are many types of guns and bullets, but I will only tell you a few.

Guns

Shotgun- Long barreled gun with bullets filled with tiny pellets called shots.

Rifle- Long barreled gun with rifling and instead of single bullets, it holds a pack, called a magazine.

Pistol- Also known as a handgun,pistols were first adapted in the military. They are described as "automatic" or more specifically "semiautomatic".

Bullet Types

Modified Bullet- Also known as "Dum-Dums", modified bullets are some how changed to give more damage to it's target.

Replica Bullet- Does not cause harm unless you switch the contents inside.

Cartridge Types

Rifle Cartridge-   Longer and skinnier then the pistol cartridge. It is made of lead with a metal casing.

Pistol Cartridge- Short and wide. Immediately ejected from gun with force from the gunshot. 

Over & Out!
Elise!

Crime Scenes!!!

Hi! I'm here today to tell you about crime scenes. Early police officers would not worry about preserving evidence, and used their bare hands due to lack of technology. Now at major crimes, it is almost as if the scene was radioactive. Only authorized personnel are permitted after the police tape had been put up, you have to put on special white suits to keep contamination from happening.
 They have many ways to record evidence including:

• photographs
• sketches
• notes
• measurements
• (sometimes) video

Then they collect evidence: 

• fingerprints
• footprints
• weapons
• blood samples
• bodies (if any)

After all this has been collected, the police tape is removed and the press and reporters are free to do their thing. 

Another way to find the suspect is to interview witnesses. Witnesses are people who saw the crime and (may) help find the suspect.

Witnesses may be asked to:

• describe faces while the officer puts together a face from a variety of eyes, hair, mouths, etc.
• tell what they saw happen
• listen to voices to see if they match any voices they (might) have heard
• look at pictures of prime suspects and (possibly) identify real people

Over & Out!
Elise

Tours!!!

Hello!

I went to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center on March 18, 2014.

It was awesome! I got to see statues of proteins and even pieces of native american art that were either on loan or had been donated. I wish I had taken pictures! Below is what I learned!

They count how much DNA is in a micro liter of chemicals and do this to many samples before storing them. How?

1. By putting the chemical on the machine
2. Then putting the chemical with DNA  onto the machine
3. Finally they  record the number of DNA in that sample.

  Also they counted the number of colonies in a group of cells by using a special microscope and counter. They use a tank of nitrogen at  about -400 Fahrenheit to store cells and use incubators at human temperature, (98.4) to grow cells. I learned that there is over 30 labs in 2 buildings out of 5! They use super clean instruments as not to contaminate any samples. I got to look through a florescent microscope that shows damaged cells. I saw cells being repaired. Did you know the research center has won 3 Nobel prizes? The people were very nice by showing me all the different labs and tests they did.

 I learned alot about DNA at this visit and I hope to see it again!

Over and out!

Elise

P.S.- Here's a picture!

A Visit to a Lab!!!!!

Dear Elise,

Are you available on March 17 or March 18th? If so, I can arrange a short tour of a laboratory at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research center in Seattle. Otherwise, I can arrange a tour for you in Pullman in the beginning of April. 

The fish that lives in southern Mexico is very interesting. There are fresh water populations that cannot survive in the toxic hydrogen sulfide springs. However, there are sulfur spring ecotypes that are able to survive in the high levels of hydrogen sulfide. Additionally, there are caves in the region where the fish are also found. Some caves are fresh water and some have hydrogen sulfide. The hydrogen sulfide is naturally occurring due to volcanic activity in the region. 

I teach two classes. They are Genome Biology and Contemporary Genetics. The wet laboratory is the place where the molecular experiments take place. We also have a "dry" laboratory, which is where all of the computation is done. I learned how to write computer programs by taking a programming class in college and then teaching myself the rest from books. It was challenging but a lot of fun.

In Switzerland, I mostly talked to people and presented my work. On the weekend, my colleague took me to the mountains so we could go for a hike and eat cheese fondue in the town of Gruyeres. 

Let me know when you are available for a tour. 

Sincerely, 

Joanna 

The letter you see above is about getting to visit a DNA research center! It is not final yet, but later in March I will get to see a lab in Seattle!!!!!! After the tour I will definitely tell you about it. 

Over & Out!

Elise

DNA!!!!!

Hi!
I'm going to tell you a little bit about DNA. Get ready, cause there's some huge words!
DNA stands for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acids. Did you know that scientists only know about 2% about DNA? The other 98% is still undiscovered. DNA is found in the Nucleus of all living organisms cells. That type of DNA is called nuclear DNA. DNA is also found in  Mitochondria. Can you guess what type of DNA that's   called? If you thought mitochondria DNA you were right!!! I'm telling you this because sometime around St. Patrick's Day I'll be touring a research center that study's DNA. I cannot wait. Afterwards I'll tell you about what I learned.


Over & Out!
Elise


P.S.- I thought you might want to see the different parts of DNA.


P.P.S.- On the right of the diagram is a simple picture of DNA. Bye!


                           

FootPrints & SnowBoots

Hi Everyone!

Remember the last time it snowed here in Washington? Well not only did I play, but I got some footprints of me, my mom, my dad and my brothers snow boots! Below is a picture of all the footprints!

I also solved a mystery. I had all my family's foot prints and my mom showed me a trail. She said that one of us had made it and I wanted to find out who made the trail. So I took pictures of the trail with my moms phone, then I compared them with the prints in the snow. 

The verdict was......

My Mom!

That's how Forensic Scientists do it at real crime scenes.

Over & Out

Elise

Another Interview!

Below are the answers to a few questions I sent to  Dr. Joanna L. Kelley PhD. For more info on her, see the bottom of the interview.

1. What is Bioinformatics?

Bioinformatics is the study of complex biological systems, including genetic information, including both the design of algorithms (a set of rules for problem-solving) and data analysis. The goal is to combine biological information to learn new things about biological systems. 

2. What type of organisms do you study?

In my research, I study the genomes of two different species of fish. One fish lives in Mexico and some of the populations of fish live in streams with toxic levels of hydrogen sulfide, yet the fish are able to survive there. The other fish I study lives in the mangrove swamps in the southern US and Caribbean. 

3. Your job sounds really complicated. What is it that you do?

I am a professor of Biological Sciences at Washington State University. My job includes running a research lab and teaching college students. 

4. What is your favorite part of your job?

My favorite part of my job is that I am always thinking about and working on new ideas. The research aspect of the job is very interesting and I am able to make new discoveries and follow different ideas that interest me. 

5. How do you keep all of those big long words in your head?

I am able to keep long words in my head through practice. Sometimes I need to re-lookup words to make sure I have the definition correct. I use google and other online dictionaries to keep things straight when I need to. 

6. What tools do you use?

The majority of my work is done on the computer. I run computer programs and write some of them too. There is a part of the work that is done in the wet laboratory too. I like to keep a mix of the different kinds of work. 

7. What was it like when you went to Switzerland? Was it interesting?

My trip to Switzerland was very interesting. I was invited to visit the laboratory of Professor Jeffrey Jensen. I spent several days speaking with different researchers there about their work and I had an opportunity to present my work to the group as well. In addition to the great science, it was also beautiful in Switzerland and very interesting to see another place in the world. 

Sincerely, 

Joanna Kelley

Joanna L. Kelley, PhD

Assistant Professor, School of Biological Sciences

Member, Center for Reproductive Biology

Washington State University

Well, that was my letter. Thanks Dr. Kelley!!

Over & Out!
Elise

What is Battlefield Forensics? : A few question for my aunt

I asked asked my Aunt some questions about her training as a Battlefield Forensic Specialist, below are the answers to her questions.


Forensic Elise :

WHAT DO YOU DO?


SFC Aunt:

 Battlefield Forensics is collecting evidence on the battlefield, places Soldiers deploy to fight. Evidence can include:
 - fingerprints off of items you can't take with you back to the office like walls, off of people, or off of items that can be brought back to the lab like computers, paper or a lamp
- DNA samples from people detained, this is done by taking a Q-tip and swiping it inside the cheek
- body fluids samples from cups or drops of blood, this is also done using a Q-tip     

Forensic Elise :

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PART? 

SFC Aunt:

I like the long term impacts of battlefield forensics.  For example, if I pull fingerprints from a random person accessing a military base, his fingerprints with associated biographical information (name, address, contact information)will always be available to reference. So if one, five or even ten years from now the same guy participates in a crime and leaves his fingerprints at the scene, his fingerprints will go back to him instead of being an unknown suspect

Forensic Elise :

WHAT'S THE MOST INTERESTING PART? 

SFC Aunt:

The science of Battlefield Forensics is the most interesting to me. How every persons fingerprints are different and even a partial print can be used to identify a person. I like that everyone can pull fingerprints from evidence using a pencil and a piece of scotch tape. 

Forensic Elise :

WHAT TOOLS DO YOU USE?

SFC Aunt:

For pulling fingerprints I use powder, a brush, tape and a note card (to put the fingerprint on).
For getting fingerprints from a person in front of me I use ink and a note card.
For collecting DNA I use Q-tips and a tube to put the Q-tip in to protect it from contamination.
I use a lot of bags. When I have to quickly collect evidence from a crime scene, I put everything in individual sealing bags. This is to protect any fingerprints on the item.
And I also use a camera to take pictures of EVERYTHING. People I get fingerprints from, pieces of evidence before placing it in a bag, and the layout of crime scenes.

Forensic Elise :
WHAT ARE THE CREEPY PARTS?

SFC Aunt:

The creepy part is the responsibility. If I don't do my job right a man that has committed a crime could go free and not be punished for bad things he has done.

Thank you for SFC Aunt for answering my questions!

Over & Out!
Elise 

Hi!

Recently I drew a picture for a local crime lab. Along with it, I will be sending a letter asking permission to visit their crime lab. Here is the link - Washington State Crime Lab.

They specialize in DNA, firearms, and have a fingerprinting database along with many other specialties.


Over & Out!
Elise

Welcome to My Blog

Hi!
I'm starting this blog for my student learning project. The goal of my blog is to share my learning as I make new discoveries on my topic: forensics.

My school is Cedar Wood Elementary and I am in a 4^th grade highly capable class. Each year we do a special project of our choice. This year I am doing forensics as my topic. I have to do research and have a 3D piece to demonstrate my learning. Then I will present it at the end of the year.

The topics I am researching on are firearms, fingerprints, DNA, crime scenes, and evidence. The topic I am most interested in is fingerprints. 

Over & Out!

Elise