Forensic chemistry is the application of chemistry in the pursuit of the law, particularly in solving crimes.

Forensic chemistry is a rapidly advancing science with many new tests being constantly added. Until these tests become established, there is often much controversy over their usage. One well known example of forensic chemistry is DNA fingerprinting. This is a technique that was invented by Alec Jeffreys in 1985. By looking at small samples of bodily tissues, a pattern can be produced by digesting the DNA using a series of enzymes known as restriction enzymes, or restriction endonucleases. This digested material is then placed on a sheet of agarose gel, and the fragments are separated by passing an electric current across the gel. Different enzymes produce different banding patterns and normally several enzymes are used in conjunction to produce a high definition digestion. Because these digestions of DNA are particular...