Is there DNA in urine?

Question

If so, why can't a thrown-away diaper of Danny-Lynn's be tested? Once thrown away, anything becomes public property, Right?

Answer 1

In a healthy person, urine is typically sterile. In a diaper, you may find sloughed epithelial cells (skin cells), though.

In terms of DNA testing from a discarded item, there can be issues regarding contamination. The DNA of a person who changed the diaper may very well be present due to discarded skin cells, as well as the DNA of a person who put the diaper on - you get the idea. In order for a sample to be usable for legal purposes, a chain of custody would have to be established to ensure that contamination is diminished and so that there is a definitive source for the sample.

Answer 2

Every living cell has DNA in it, so any place where you might lose a cell might potentially be used to perform DNA tests. Blood, skin, urine, hair brushes, clothes, maybe even fingerprints.

But you have to keep in mind the limitations of testing procedures. Though with enough money you might be able to track down the one cell and perform some tests on it alone, most people don't have that kind of money and most commercial labs aren't interested in that kind of work. So instead you're going to need a relatively large sample of DNA that has not been ruined by too much exposure to the environment, chemicals, and the like.

Commercial diapers, for example, may provide enough interference to ruin whatever cells come their way. They are typically filled with water-absorbing chemicals, and mixing urine with those chemicals almost undoubtedly damages cells, and may drastically interfere with the kind of stock tests being used. So while a pure urine sample may be good enough, the urine from an absorbant diaper may be useless.

As for the legality of going through someone's garbage... I wouldn't count too much on that if I were you. There are very fine legal points. All garbage on a person's property is usually still considered to be property of the person. This is why police cannot dig through your trash without a warrant. Garbage in dumpsters, on the curb, or in a garbage truck is sometimes considered to be property of the city or whoever is collecting the garbage. So you would still be stealing, just not from the same person. Some city dumps are actually guarded by security so people can't just wander off with stuff!

So maybe the diaper is fair game, maybe not. It depends a lot on fine points.

Answer 3

True, the constitutionality has been confirmed on this one... if you throw it away and I get it.... it's mine. No fifth amendment will help ya here.
And, of course, urine contains sufficient cellular matter to get a good DNA sample. It looks better in the eyes of self righteous people if the DNA source is given with permission and with others WITNESSING the fact that the sample taken was, indeed, taken from the individual in question. How do you prove that's DaniLynn's piss?? Take a DNA sample from her to compare to the piss. Doesn;t that bring us to the chicken and the egg paradox???
The end result is that... IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER. That babies life is shattered, forever harboring the onus of such bad publicity and public emotions WAY TOO SOON in life.

Answer 4

UH yeah.It,s waste from a body and they recover DNA from urine samples found at a crime scene......Too much CSI but yeah there is DNA in urine.

Answer 5

DNA isnt present in urine. only water, urea and excess ions like sodium are present in urine.

Answer 6

not after to long ....but urine is waste blood so there may be small traces

Answer 7

no.it's not present in urine.