12 Questions
What technology played a vital role in the development of forensic microbiology in the 1990s?
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
Why did the US government heavily invest in forensic microbiology around 2000?
To track the sources of biological agents used by terrorists
What is an application of forensic microbiology mentioned in the text related to identifying individuals?
Using unique microbiome signature as trace evidence
Which statement about the accuracy of microbiome identification is supported by the text?
Microbiome identification is not accurate enough to be used in forensic investigations.
What aspect of forensic microbiology deals with inferring the location where a crime took place?
Geolocation
How do microbes function as trace evidence according to the text?
Microbes leave behind unique signatures that can link individuals to crime scenes.
How can microbes be utilized in forensic science to determine if a suspect was present at a crime scene?
By analyzing the microbial community on the suspect's body and belongings
What is one way to use microbes for geolocation in forensic science?
Analyzing the distinct microbial communities in different soils
How can animal microbiomes be employed in forensic science for localization purposes?
Linking a person to a crime through microbes on their body from animals
What is an essential use of microbes in estimating post-mortem interval in forensic science?
Analyzing changes in microbial communities found on a body
What is binary fission in relation to bacterial growth?
The process of dividing one bacterial cell into two new daughter cells
Which characteristic do microorganisms possess that aids in estimating bacterial growth?
Each type has a characteristic cellular composition and morphology
Study Notes
Forensic Microbiology
- Forensic microbiology is the application of microbiology to help solve crimes.
- It began in the 1990s with the development of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology.
Applications of Forensic Microbiology
- Forensic microbiology focuses on the diagnosis of cause of death, inference of crime location, estimation of post-mortem interval, and individual identification.
- Applications include:
- Trace evidence: microbes can be used as trace evidence, like fingerprints, to identify individuals based on their unique microbiome signature.
- Geolocation: different soils have distinct microbial communities that can be used to determine the location of a crime.
- Localization through animal microbiomes: a person's pets or animals they work with could potentially link them to a crime based on the microbes on their body or clothing from the animal.
- Post-mortem interval estimation: microbes can be used to estimate the time since death.
Characteristics of Microorganisms
- They are very small in size.
- They are present everywhere on the bodies of animals and humans, on plant surfaces, in the air, water, dust, soil, and even inside the intestinal canal of all insects, birds, animals, and human beings.
- Each type has a characteristic cellular composition, morphology, mean of locomotion, and reproduction.
- Some microorganisms are pathogenic and cause disease, but almost all others are beneficial and play a role in making life-saving drugs, manufacturing biofuels, cleaning up pollution, and producing/processing food and drink.
Microbial Growth
- Microbial growth is the increase in mass and number of cells.
- The process of dividing one bacterial cell into two new daughter cells is known as binary fission.
- The time required to divide one cell into two new daughter cells is called generation time.
- Bacterial growth may be determined by using either biomass (measuring the increase in the mass of living cells) or cell number (measuring the increase in the number of cells).
Explore the field of forensic microbiology, where microbiology is used to help solve crimes. Learn about how polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology revolutionized the field, and how it has been applied in cases such as tracking bioterrorism agents.
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