Solving Crimes with Biofluids: A Forensic Adventure

Ever wondered how forensic scientists solve crimes using mysterious bodily fluids? These unsung heroes use a mix of tricks and tools to spot and analyze blood, semen, and other fluids at crime scenes. Let's dive into this fascinating world! Imagine a terrible knife attack. Blood from the victim and the attacker splatters everywhere. These bloodstains can tell a story. They help investigators figure out what happened and who did it. But how do they do that? First, scientists use simple tests to spot these fluids. These are called presumptive tests. Think of them as the detectives' first clue. Once they find a fluid, they use more advanced tests to confirm what it is. These are called confirmatory tests. There are many types of biofluids that can be clues in a crime. Blood is a big one, but there's also semen, vaginal fluid, menstrual blood, urine, and saliva. Each one can help solve a puzzle in a different way. Scientists use two main approaches to analyze these fluids. One is using methods that don't involve light, like immunoassays and spot tests. The other is using light-based methods, like Infrared (IR) spectroscopy, Mass Spectrometry (MS), and Raman Spectrometry (RS).