School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, 18 Medyków Street, 40-752 Katowice, Poland.
Department of Forensic Medicine and Forensic Toxicology, Medical University of Silesia, 18 Medyków Street, 40-752 Katowice, Poland.
Genes (Basel). 2023 Aug 18;14(8):1643. doi: 10.3390/genes14081643.
The analysis of genetic material may be the only way to identify an unknown person or solve a criminal case. Often, the conditions in which the genetic material was found determine the choice of the analytical method. Hence, it is extremely important to understand the influence of various factors, both external and internal, on genetic material. The review presents information on DNA and RNA persistence, depending on the chemical and physical factors affecting the genetic material integrity. One of the factors taken into account is the time elapsing to genetic material recovery. Temperature can both preserve the genetic material or lead to its rapid degradation. Radiation, aquatic environments, and various types of chemical and physical factors also affect the genetic material quality. The substances used during the forensic process, i.e., for biological trace visualization or maceration, are also discussed. Proper analysis of genetic material degradation can help determine the post-mortem interval (PMI) or time since deposition (TsD), which may play a key role in criminal cases.
对遗传物质的分析可能是识别未知人员或解决刑事案件的唯一方法。通常，发现遗传物质的条件决定了分析方法的选择。因此，了解各种内外因素对遗传物质的影响极其重要。本综述介绍了 DNA 和 RNA 持久性的信息，具体取决于影响遗传物质完整性的化学和物理因素。考虑的因素之一是遗传物质回收的时间间隔。温度既能保存遗传物质，也能导致其迅速降解。辐射、水生环境以及各种类型的化学和物理因素也会影响遗传物质的质量。法医过程中使用的物质，例如用于生物痕迹可视化或浸软的物质，也在讨论范围内。对遗传物质降解的适当分析有助于确定死后间隔时间（PMI）或沉积后时间（TsD），这在刑事案件中可能起着关键作用。
