Final answer:
To conduct a bloodstain pattern analysis, one must prepare and scan a Wright stained blood smear, count white blood cells, observe under a microscope, and potentially use DNA fingerprinting techniques like RFLP analysis to compare DNA samples from various sources.
Step-by-step explanation:
The basic steps to conduct a bloodstain pattern analysis involve first obtaining a prepared slide with a Wright stained blood smear. Scanning of the entire slide using the scanning pattern recommended in Figure 5 should then follow. The process includes identifying and counting each white blood cell until a tally of 100 cells is reached. Afterward, observation with a light microscope using the oil immersion objective lens is performed to evaluate red blood cells and platelets, and then analyze the white blood cell populations more detailedly. Additionally, DNA fingerprinting techniques such as RFLP analysis may be used, involving the collection of DNA, amplification with PCR, and then restriction enzyme digestion and agarose gel electrophoresis to generate specific banding patterns for comparison against samples from suspects or victims.
Other crucial steps include making a thin film of blood on a glass slide to evaluate the cellular components of blood directly under a microscope. For microscopic observation, the blood smears need to be stained, which involves one or multiple staining procedures. This could be further explored and magnified using software tools such as Webscope. As such, it's important to understand how to handle and process blood samples for accurate analysis.