Getting ID From DNA

從DNA辨識身分From crime to immigration, Sir Alec Jeffreys changed the way we identify individuals 艾利克?傑佛瑞爵士改變了辨識個人身分的方式，從犯罪到移民，無一不包 by Chip Ewald

A science lab achievement gave justice a new tool in law courts

Since the late 1800s, authorities have used fingerprints to identify individuals, especially in criminal investigations and other identification-based legal cases. But fingerprinting changed forever when England's Sir Alec Jeffreys discovered a way of identifying individuals using their DNA: DNA fingerprinting.

All humans belong to the same species, so the majority of genetic information in people's DNA is identical. But certain sections of human DNA-sections that give each individual unique characteristics-vary astronomically from person to person. Discovering these sections in his laboratory on a September morning in 1984, Jeffreys immediately understood their potential, and DNA fingerprinting was born.

Lawyers applied the discovery to legal cases almost immediately. The following spring, DNA fingerprinting resolved an immigration case by proving a young boy's identity as a U.K. citizen. Then in 1986, DNA fingerprinting provided the evidence necessary to prove one man's innocence and another man's guilt in a murder case. Since then, this science has helped settle countless cases and investigations- establishing parent-child relationships, putting criminals in jail and freeing those wrongly accused of crimes. Without a doubt, DNA fingerprinting has forever revolutionized the way we identify people and fight crime.

More Information:
Most criminals know enough to protect their identity by wearing gloves. For police, this means crime scenes are left without usable fingerprints. But now, thanks to the help of science, we know crime scenes are hardly ever left without a trace of a criminal's DNA-in the form of a skin cell, strand of hair or a drop of blood-it's enough to catch that criminal!

Grammar Tips:
But certain sections of human DNA... vary astronomically from person to person.
astronomically-
astronomy-the study of outer space.
astronomically-in a big way; as big as outer space; being big.
in a big way:
elephant-elephantine:
Environmentalists are worried about the growing number of elephantine resorts appearing along the coastline.
Hercules-herculean:
Timothy was given a challenging assignment, and he doubts he can complete this herculean assignment in one day.
monster-monstrous:
This restaurant is known for their monstrous size sandwiches, which are as big as volleyballs.

Vocabulary Tips:
fingerprint-指紋
*The police found the suspect's fingerprints on the doorknob.
*The detective is taking fingerprints at the crime scene.
*The fingerprints match the escaped fugitive's.
genetic-基因
*The baby suffers from a genetic heart disease.
*The patient's condition is caused by a genetic defect. 基因缺陷(先天的缺陷)
*Martha studies genetic engineering at Columbia.基因工程
revolutionize (v)-徹底地改變, 徹底地改革revolution (n)-革命
*Einstein's theory of relativity revolutionized how human beings perceive the world.相對論...徹底地改變了人們對世界的看法.
*The invention of laptops revolutionized the way people work.
DNA= deoxyribonucleic acid

Chat Room:
genes/jeans
genes-基因
blue eyes are in my genes.=blue eyes run in the family.
jeans- blue jeans.牛仔褲