Dr. Fleetwood’s Blog

Forensic hair analysis involves using a light microscope to analyze the hair for various factors to determine the origin of that hair.  Is it a human hair or animal?  Is it a male or female hair?  Can we determine the individual race?  What about the age?  To get an answer to these questions and to learn what to look for in a hair sample, visit this site.  Because examining a hair requires a microscope, be sure you understand how to use a microscope and that you can name all its parts.  For practice using a virtual microscope, go to this University of Delaware site and click on “The Virtual Scope”.

Tags: Forensics by docfleetwood
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How does one analyze handwriting samples to check for forgeries? Complete the following to learn all about Questioned Document Analysis.

1. Go to this site to read about the theory behind handwriting analysis and to run a cool mini-experiment to demonstrate the ‘programmed’ nature of our own handwriting.
2. Go to this site to read more on handwriting and forgeries.  Be sure to click on the links entitled, “describing specific features of handwriting” and “comparing handwriting”.
3. For an insane amount of knowledge and information on handwriting comparison you can visit this site and read through the modules.  You do not have to know all of the information in these modules for this class but I include this link in case you are interested in further study.
4. Finally, you can go to this site to participate in a handwriting verification test.  Or you can simply go there to look at a number of samples and test yourself to see if you can determine whether items were written by the same individual or different individuals.

Tags: Forensics by docfleetwood
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To better understand how to determine a person’s blood type and how you could use that information, complete the following:

1. Go to this site to see how to test someone’s blood.  Be certain you understand the difference between antigens and antibodies!
2. Then go to this site to practice reading a blood test and see if you’ve got skills!
3. Then go to this site and read through the tutorials.  Then complete the Blood Types Problem Set.

Tags: Forensics by docfleetwood
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A new online game has been created by HHMI researchers at the University of Washington where players are pitted against one another to match wits and spatial skills. The object of the game is protein folding. While this sounds kind of, well, odd - this game could help scientists better understand the human body and develop cures for a variety of diseases. You might even create a novel protein that treats or cures a disease! Read more about it at this HHMI article or go straight to the game’s website at www.fold.it

Tags: Biology by docfleetwood
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Check out this 5 part series from the LA Times on the dangers of pollution in our oceans.  Make sure you view the ‘Fade to Green’ video in Part 3 to see the “Poop Chute”.  There are wonderful animations, videos, and pictures to show how pollution is creating ‘dead zones’ and areas where our ocean trash is accumulating.  We need to change our ways soon if we want to save this planet for future generations.

Tags: Biology by docfleetwood
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Go to this site and run various trial experiments and try to predict what the patient will say.

Then go to this site and read about Split Brain Syndrome.

Then go to this site and run the Split Brain Experiment.

Tags: Anatomy by docfleetwood
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Go to this site and watch the animation on the Southern Blot technique.

Next, go to this site and watch a second animation on the technique as it applies to forensics.

For more details on what goes on inside the gel, go to this site.

Next, go to this site to run a virtual lab and catch a candy thief!

Then go to this site and see how DNA fingerprinting is applied in several fields, including a murder case and two paternity cases.

Then go to this site and read the tutorial on the process. Click on the DNA Forensics Problem Set button at the bottom of the tutorial and complete the problem set (6 problems).

Finally, go to this site and complete the karyotyping activities for the three cases. While karyotyping is not the same thing as DNA fingerprinting - it is still a good thing to know

Tags: Biology, Forensics by docfleetwood
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Researchers have improved the vision in four people with a certain type of hereditary blindness by injecting them with a virus to change their DNA.  Read more about the story at this NewScientist page or listen to an NPR podcast with one of the researchers.

Tags: Biology by docfleetwood
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Scientists have published findings in the Journal of Medical Genetics that suggest they have found genes on chromosome 4 that may be related to your musical abilities.  These abilities may also be related to language.  Read more at this World Science article.

Tags: Anatomy, Biology by docfleetwood
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Researchers say that your brain makes decisions up to 10 seconds before you consciously know it.  This may be another indicator of the predictive power of a hierarchical temporal memory system.  Perhaps it even explains deja vu?  Read more at this WebMD article here.

Tags: Anatomy, Thinking by docfleetwood
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