When people look in the mirror, they often wonder about where they get their looks.
Well, there’s a simple explanation: "It’s all in the genes."
Actually, it’s in our DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid.
In forensic science, DNA samples collected by crime scene investigators can be used as clues in solving the how, when, where and, most importantly, who of a case.
The conclusions drawn by the DNA samples can be used to convict or successfully clear a person of a crime, especially if that crime involves a homicide or rape.
But of course, we have all heard the horror stories of the Houston Police Department Crime Lab and how it was criticized for having a poorly trained staff and lax protocol, which led to mistakes and wrongful convictions.
Paternity DNA testing, which seems to be widely exploited by talk shows like The Maury Povich Show, is used to determine the biological father of a child.
As one watches Povich’s show, you almost want the DNA test results to be negative just so the show will be interesting.
According to The Washington Post, Povich does not find out the results of the paternity tests before the show airs. He finds out at the same time as everyone else does, which includes the mother and suspected father.
However, regardless of whether or not the father in question is actually the biological father of the child, it never crosses anyone’s mind that the mother may not be biologically linked.
It’s called chimerism, which is a combination of two separate sets of chromosomes.
During gestation, the mother could have had a twin, but the twin died before birth and his or her cells were fused with the surviving embryo.
As stated above, the surviving embryo now has two strands of DNA, hence the existence of two separate sets of chromosomes in one body.
Yes this sounds somewhat strange but it can and did happen to a young mother from Washington State.
According to an ABC News article, Lydia Fairchild, a mother of three, has been the subject of a documentary on chimerism.
Her story is amazing if only for the fact that, even though she has given birth to three children (all from the same father), there is nothing in her DNA that links her to them genetically.
However, at the time of the paternity tests, which were administered because she was applying for welfare, no one really knew about chimerism, much lessunderstood how it works.
Nonetheless, the welfare office immediately presumed that she was trying to commit welfare fraud and was acting as a paid surrogate despite the fact that she had hospital records stating she gave birth to her children.
With all of this said, can we really trust the results of a DNA test?
We have seen what has happened at the HPD Crime Lab and we’ve now seen what has happened to Lydia Fairchild.
The results of a DNA test can and will be used in a court of law and the ruling is not always in the favor of the innocent party.
As citizens we shouldn’t just accept the status quo and adhere to a set of results that may not even be completely conclusive.
Latimer, a creative writing graduate student, can be reached via [email protected]
