Forensic Biology

SECTION I Biological Evidence

Chapter 1 Crime Scene Investigation of Biological Evidence

Chapter 2 Crime Scene Bloodstain Pattern Analysis

Chapter 3 Forensic Biology: A Subdiscipline of Forensic Science

Chapter 4 Sources of Biological Evidence

SECTION II Basic Techniques in Forensic Biology

Chapter 5 Nucleic Acid Extraction

Chapter 6 DNA Quantification

Chapter 7 Nucleic Acid Amplification

Chapter 8 Basic Techniques for Length Polymorphism Analysis

Chapter 9 Basic Techniques for Sequence Polymorphism Analysis

Chapter 10 Serology Concepts

Chapter 11 Forensic Serology Techniques

Chapter 12 Emerging Body Fluid Identification Techniques

SECTION III Identification of Biological Evidence

Chapter 13 Identification of Blood

Chapter 14 Identification of Semen

Chapter 15 Identification of Saliva

Chapter 16 Identification of Vaginal Secretions and Menstrual Blood

Chapter 17 Identification of Other Body Fluids and Cellular Materials

SECTION IV Individualization of Biological Evidence

Chapter 18 Blood Group Typing and Protein Profiling

Chapter 19 Variable Number Tandem Repeat Profiling

Chapter 20 Autosomal Short Tandem Repeat Profiling

Chapter 21 Sex Chromosome Haplotyping and Identification

Chapter 22 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Profiling

Chapter 23 Mitochondrial DNA Profiling

SECTION V Forensic Issues

Chapter 24 Forensic DNA Databases: Tools for Crime Investigations

Chapter 25 Evaluation of the Strength of Forensic DNA Profiling Results

Chapter 26 Standards and Qualifications

Forensic Biology, Third Edition, provides students with a general understanding of forensic biology, particularly in forensic serology and forensic DNA analysis, and addresses rapid advancements in the field over the past few years.

The book is divided into 26 chapters that are designed to be covered in a single-semester course for students majoring in forensic science, with the aim of equipping students with the knowledge needed to understand and apply new real-world techniques and methods to prepare them for entry into the field.

• Provides clear explanations of the principles involved in forensic identification and the analysis of biological evidence
• Explains the techniques used in forensic body fluid identification and DNA profiling, both in the field and in the laboratory
• Discusses the benefits and limitations of various forensic biology techniques
• Includes over four hundred color illustrations
• Includes over three thousand in-text citations 

This updated and comprehensive volume on forensic biology is suitable for use both in the classroom and as a reference for practicing professionals.

Richard Li earned his MS in forensic science from the University of New Haven and his Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. After completing his Ph.D., Dr. Li was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship at Weill Medical College of Cornell University and subsequently worked as a research faculty member at the School of Medicine of Yale University. Dr. Li has also served as a criminalist at the Department of Forensic Biology in the Office of Chief Medical Examiner of New York City. For the past several decades, he has held faculty positions in forensic science programs in the United States. Currently, Dr. Li is a faculty member at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and also serves as a faculty member for the Ph.D. program in criminal justice at the college. His research interests include identification and analysis of biological specimens that are potentially useful in forensic investigations.