EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -By comparing the number and proportion of gills and spores in a drowned person’s lungs, it is sometimes possible to determine where he or she drowned.

Detailed explanation-2: -There are three methods for obtaining useful pollen grains images, including transmitted-light microscopy (TLM), the widefield fluorescent method and the structured illumination (Apotome) method. These three methods can be considered as semi-automated traditional methods used to detect the pollen grains.

Detailed explanation-3: -What is forensic palynology? Forensic palynologists use pollen grains to assist in solving crimes. By examining pollen collected from a crime scene, or suspect, it is possible to be specific about where a person or object has been.

Detailed explanation-4: -Palynology and forensic science While pollen, spores and other microscopic organisms may be invisible to the naked eye, advanced techniques like transmitted-light microscopy (TLM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and DNA barcoding can be used to analyse palynomorphs.

Detailed explanation-5: -What is a pollen fingerprint? Pollen collected from a crime scene is useful to figure out where and when the crime occurred. A pollen fingerprint is the number and type of pollen grains found in a geographic area at a specific time of the year.