Manahal Hassan Mr. Jones Forensics 7 March 2016 Fingerprinting The definition according to Merriam-Webster, of forensics is relating to the use of scientific knowledge or methods in solving crimes. Today forensics is widely used to aid in the solving of cases. Forensic Science is just an umbrella term for a range of sub-sciences present in Forensic Science. There is forensic pathology, forensic psychology, and forensic anthropology among others. One of the most important aspects of forensics are the various laboratory techniques applied to solve crimes. The use of microscopy and fingerprinting are two categories that have furthermore expanded the use of forensics in the present. FINGERPRINTS Fingerprints are the rigged tips of the fingers and they often leave a print unrecognizable to the naked eye after making contact when an object. No two people have identical fingerprints. They can also tell the race and gender of a person. Jon Bon Jovi once said “Each one of you has something no one else has, or has ever had: your fingerprints, your brain, your heart. Be an individual. Be unique. Stand out. Make noise. Make someone notice. That 's the power of individuals.” Fingerprints are a key piece of an individual because they provide a sense of identity. HISTORY OF FINGERPRINTS Fingerprints were first seen on clay tablets in Babylon around 3000 B.C. They appeared in China a little later to sign official documents. In the 14th century A.D, Khajeh Rashiduddin Fazlullah
There is a small vertical irregularity on the mandible, likely the result of a fracture scar. This irregularity measures approximately 3 millimeters in length. There is also evidence of forced trauma to the cranium, with the vertical irregularity measuring approximately 8 millimeters in length.
Forensic science is a field of criminology that utilizes scientific methods to gather and examine evidence in order to prove or disprove a crime. Forensic science involves gathering fingerprints, palm prints, footprints, tooth bite prints, blood, and hair and fiber samples and bunch of other things in order to investigate a crime scene. Ballistics techniques are employed to make out weapons in addition to voice identification methods used to recognize criminals (Nickell &Fischer, 1999).
Forensics is the basis of the crime-fighting unit. It is devised to assist in the solving of a crime by providing explicit and reliable evidence. There are many different components of forensic science, which include: DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid), fingerprints, hair samples, ballistics and toxicology (what is a forensic scientist). There are many different types of forensic scientist such as an anthropologist, ballistics expert, chemical scientist, fingerprint expert, photographer and toxicologist [3]. There are a variety of different forensic scientists that specialize in different fields and they all use their specific knowledge to work together and come to a conclusion.
DNA Fingerprinting, also known as DNA Profiling, is a method used to identify a person using DNA patterns that are specific to him/her. 99.9% of DNA is identical in every human being, but .01% is enough to distinguish between people. It is most commonly used in criminal cases to link a criminal to his/her crime scene, but is also used for paternity/maternity tests, and immigration records. Usually a skin, hair, or body fluid sample is collected from a crime scene or criminal or test candidate, then DNA is extracted and cut using enzymes that recognize patterns in DNA and run through a gel by an electric current in a process called electrophoresis (Annely).
Forensic Science is a vital and fascinating part of the criminal justice system. Forensic science it plays an important role in almost. every part of the criminal justice system. For many Americans, the word forensics evokes a cascade of vibrant imagery that entails crime and intrigue. It is a buzzword for DNA, bite marks, bullet wounds, fingerprints, autopsy, gore, death investigations, semen stains, and rape kits. Forensic science is defined as the application of science to the law, which is a very broad definition This can mean almost anything— accountants who perform analysis to assist the courts are forensic accountants; computer enthusiasts who hack into the hard drives of sexual predators are forensic computer technicians, the list goes on and on. The field of forensic science is growing, and the list becomes even longer as more divisions of labor and specialization occur. With this large influx of experts in fields that expand with technology and multitudes of new techniques, it is amazing that the courts can even keep up.
A cross disciplinary study would need to be an in depth look at a subject matter that other professions can help build on. I would like to see patterns for disease leading up to the infamous black death of the fourteenth century in Europe and then what the patterns looked like as it began to spread across medium sized villages through England. To do this correctly for either part I would need an idea of how the villages in question operated on a normal basis without the threat of a seemingly unstoppable outbreak of black death. The main component of this would to gather information on the villages in a certain area of England during the thirteenth century and this would put my own historian skills to the test. After I acquired this information
From the early days, with little literary reference material, to the current day, with substantially more, but still insufficient formation, the science of fingerprint identification has managed to maintain its credibility and usefulness. Although, academic institutions have yet to recognize the field as an applied science and include it in the curricula, which would provide directed research and literary reference, in libraries. Without this academic recognition, progress in the field of fingerprint is destined to be sluggish. Description of fingerprint identification as a forensic science’ or an ~app1ied science’ in no way implies that is not a reliable science.
Forensic anthropology, is it effective to have during a disaster? Can we really gain knowledge about the dead relying on a forensic anthropologist? We will review disaster anthropology, standards of evidence, and balancing act.
Forensic science is the science associated with criminal investigations. Investigators collect the evidence found at crime scenes to gather more information about the crime. In Forensic Science, the class has covered different chapters of topics that has to do with types of evidence. The information in the chapters explained to the class what forensic science really is. A few of the interesting topics were hair analysis, fingerprints, and evidence collection.
Forensics is the study of crime and evidence from a crime scene. A forensic scientist collects, identifies, and analyzes physical evidence from a criminal investigation (according to portal education.com). They also have to perform tests on Weapons and substances such as, fibbers, tissues, and hair to determine the significance to a crime (according to the
Merriam-Webster defines forensic science as the application of scientific principles and techniques to matters of criminal justice especially as relating to the collection, examination, and analysis of physical evidence. In layman’s terms, forensics is the use of science to help the police gather evidence so they can catch a culprit. This seemingly simple subject took hold of my life almost five years ago and has not loosened its grip since.
Fingerprinting is used for many things, such as a robbery, or at a crime scene. Fingerprints were first discovered in 1870 by Alphonse Bertillon, who was a French anthropologist. In 1892, Juan Vucetich had made the first criminal report using a fingerprint. In 1905 America used fingerprints for identification. When America started using fingerprints for identification they had to match the fingerprints manually when needed. When technology was able to enter fingerprints, and match them with anonymous ones, it helped identification immensely.
The purpose of collecting fingerprints is to identify an individual. This person may be the suspect, a victim, or a witness. There are three types of fingerprints that can be found: latent, patent, and plastic. (Crime Museum, 2016) Latent fingerprints are made of the sweat and oil on the skin’s surface. This type of fingerprint is invisible to the naked eye and requires additional processing in order to be seen. This processing can include basic powder techniques or the use of chemicals. Patent fingerprints can be made by blood, grease, ink, or dirt. This type of fingerprint is easily visible to the human eye. Plastic fingerprints are three-dimensional impressions and can be made by pressing your fingers in fresh paint,
However, Prabhakar (Undated) Among all the biometric techniques, fingerprint-based identification is the oldest method which has been successfully used in numerous applications. Everyone is known to have unique, immutable fingerprints. A fingerprint is made of a series of ridges and furrows on the surface of the finger. The uniqueness of a fingerprint can be determined by the pattern of ridges and furrows as well as the minutiae points. Minutiae points are local ridge characteristics that occur at either a ridge bifurcation or a ridge ending.
Every time somebody touches something, they leave behind a unique signature that forever links them to that object. This link is their fingerprints, which are unique to every person, for no two people have the same set, not even family members or identical twins. Palms and toes also leave prints behind, but these are far less commonly found during crime scene investigations. Therefore, fingerprints provide an identification process that is applicable to background checks, biometric security, mass disaster identification, and most importantly, crime scene investigations. Fingerprints are so differentiated because they are made up of distinct patterns of ridges and furrows on the fingers. The ridges are the “raised” portions of the prints, and the furrows are the “recessed” portions. This perceived uniqueness has led some people to falsely accept fingerprint analysis as absolute scientific fact. Although overall fingerprints are reliable, there are definitely situations where their accuracy can come into question.