[lyka_candelario]

Medical Forensics was first discussed in lecture during the mid 18th century in Europe. Several scientists like Carl Liman, Johann Casper, and Auguste Tardieu helped build forensic pathology into an important field of science. It was in 1959 that forensic pathology was acknowledged by the American Board of Pathology in the United States. Canada formally welcomed it in 2003.

There are several duties a forensic pathologist does in the application of medical jurisprudence. He must:
a. Be a medical doctor who has complete anatomical pathology and sub-specialized forensic pathology, though varying from country to country;
b. Does postmortem examination to identify cause of death. Such report may consist of the disease, injury, or pathologic process and the manner of death;
c. Occasionally examine injuries in clinical settings;
d. Determine the presence or absence of disease;
e. Interpret body tissue toxicological analyses to identify chemical cause of injury;
f. Collaborate with medico-legal authority to investigate sudden deaths; and
g. Appear as professional witness in criminal or civil law cases.

Aside from medical forensics, DNA or genetic testing is also used in the following fields:
• Newborn screening – identify genetic disorders for early treatment
• Diagnostic testing – diagnose or rule out a genetic condition
• Carrier testing – determine couple’s risk of having an offspring with a genetic condition
• Prenatal testing – identify fetus’s genes before birth
• Parental testing – match DNA sequences
• Research testing – advance understanding of genetic conditions
• Pharmacogenomics – test for genetic variation on drug reaction

DNA probes, as discussed in the article, are tiny segments of DNA which are used to detect a gene’s presence from a long DNA sequence. They are prepared for commercial purposes and are considered to be the most sensitive and sophisticated means to identify genes or particular DNA sequences. They are used for diagnosis of infectious disease, identification of contaminants in food, and in other micro tests. It is commended for being a much simpler, cheaper, faster, and cleaner way than other traditional microbiological tests.