Notes On Fingerprints And Fingerprints

Fingerprints are impressions left by ridges that press against things and leave a mark. They’re formed in the basal layer of skin while in the womb. The three fundamental principles of fingerprints are: no two fingerprints are the same, a fingerprint will remain the same for a lifetime, and there are general ridge patterns found in fingerprints that allow them to be systematically classified. Arches, whorls, and loops are the three basic fingerprint patterns. There also four subgroups which are plain, central pocket, double/double loop, and accidental. A minutiae, or ridge characteristic, are characteristics within a fingerprint that must make up for identification. Some examples of individual ridge characteristics would be bifurcation, short ridge, dot, etc. With the use of fingerprints, many individuals have been identified in criminal investigations.

As one of the many fields of forensic science that can benefit from additional research, fingerprint identification is probably the most deserving. Within recent years, many print examiners have been questioned in both professional and social situations as to whether fingerprint evidence should be considered scientific. This questioning caused latent print examiners to realize the pressing need for various types of ongoing research on the subject of fingerprints.

The first step in processing fingerprint evidence at a crime scene begins with documentation through the use of photography, sketches and detailed notes on the condition and disposition of the evidence. Often, latent prints can be used to establish the identity of a suspect or victim at a crime scene and can be considered as one of the most valuable forms of physical evidence. Processing evidence at a crime scene is a long, tedious process to ensure that delicate evidence, such as fingerprints can be preserved. When processing fingerprints, the location and condition of the print should be identified to determine the most appropriate technique for processing. There are two primary types of surfaces: porous and non-porous. Porous surfaces absorb fingerprint residue like paper, cardboard or unfinished wood. Conventional chemical techniques used on these types of surfaces include Silver Nitrate, Iodine Fuming, Ninhydrin and SuperGlue Fuming. Non-porous surfaces consist of plastics, glass, and metal. These prints are usually lifted with the powder dusting technique; however, caution should be used while processing latent print residue on non-porous surfaces as they can easily smear. Powdered latent prints are then lifted with tape. (Lee, & Gaesslen, 2001)

For over a century fingerprints have been one of the most used tools of forensic science. Fingerprints have been used to identify criminals of small crimes

In quadrants 1 and 2 how the amount and constituents of the fingerprint residue on the substrate affects the fingerprint image, is determined. In quadrant 1, excess sebum and moisture is first removed from the finger tips with the help of a clean cloth. In quadrant 2, fingertip is first wiped around the nose or forehead to create excess sebum. Quadrant 3 and 4 were used to compare the details between untreated and dusted fingerprint residues.

Fingerprints can be taken from a crime scene in various methods. Fingerprints are classified into three categories depending on the surface they are found. Fingerprints on soft surfaces are most likely to be three-dimensional plastic prints such as soap, wax, wet paint, fresh caulk, etc. (“A Simplified Guide To Fingerprint Analysis”, n.d). The fingerprints on hard surfaces are patent or latent prints including blood, dirt, ink, paint, etc. transferred from a finger or thumb to a surface (“A Simplified Guide To Fingerprint Analysis”, n.d). Patent prints can be collected using photography. The prints are photographed in high resolution with a forensic measurement scale for the image for reference. There are multiple methods for discovering and collecting latent prints. Alternate Light Source (ALS) use

Latent fingerprints found at crime sights or else developed in the laboratory are categorized by examiners as patent, latent, or plastic impressions1. The word latent means hidden or unseen. Latent prints are undetectable until brought out with a physical, chemical and fuming process. The physical developer is a means to detect fingerprints on dry and wet, including paper articles, clay-based products and adhesive tapes. Ninhydrin is one of the most widely used chemical reagents for enhancement of latent finger print impressions on porous substrates. Nonporous surfaces do not absorb. These surfaces repel moisture and often appear polished. They include glass, metal, plastics, lacquered or painted wood, and rubber. Superglue (cyanoacrylate) fuming is the best example for such non-porous substrate analysis.

“Fingerprint recognition is one of the divorce inference using the impressions made by the minute ridge formations or patterns found on the fingertips. No two people have exactly the same arrangement of the ridge patterns, and the remaining patterns of any one individual unchanged. Fingerprints infallible provide a means of personal identification. Other personal characteristics may change, but not fingerprints”. (1)

In our current state, there are many classifications of fingerprints. A fingerprint is an individual characteristic because each finger has its own pattern. You will not find any fingers with the same pattern on them. During

When it comes to fingerprints, no two individuals are the same. This is just one of the many reasons to as why fingerprints are so important when it comes to evidence. In addition, fingerprints are used to assist in capturing the individual, who was at the crime scene when the crime was perpetrated. Fingerprints are found on surfaces due to the friction ridges that are on each one of our hands (Nolo, 2015). Sweat, body oils, and dirt are just a few of the things that

Fingerprints are detailed, difficult to alter, and permanent over the life of a person, which makes them suitable as a long-term identifier of an individual. They also can be used to identify people who are deceased in the aftermath of a crime. The recovery of fingerprints from a scene is an important part of forensics in identifying a possible suspect. Blood is often found at various types of crime scenes, such as homicide, assault, rape, robbery and burglary. Blood type can be an identifying factor to assist investigators to narrow the search for a suspect. With DNA typing technologies, an individual bloodstain can now be used to identify an individual of a crime or a suspect. Blood spatter can also be used to identify which hand a person used during a stabbing, the direction of a shot and even the distance of the shot from the victim.

FINGERPRINT EXPERIMENT2AbstractLatent print residue is a combination of many substances excreted from the body. Latent print residues may be left from natural sweat on the skin or from a contaminant such as motor oil, blood, ink, paint or some other form of dirt. They may exhibit only a small portion of the surface of a finger and may be smudged, distorted, overlapped by other prints from the same, or from different individuals, or all of these in combination. The factors that affect the quality or presenceof latent prints include the conditions involved between friction skin contact and the objects that are touched. Pre-transfer conditions describe the condition of the friction skin and the amount and type of residue on the skin; and are affected

Fingerprints are formed during the first, third to fourth months of fetal development. While growing (in the womb) the fingerprint and the ridges will expand. A fingerprint stays the same from when

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.

Generally, two fingerprints have been looked at utilizing discrete components called minutiae. These elements incorporate focuses in a finger's rubbing skin where edges end (called an edge completion) or split (called an edge bifurcation). Normally, there are on the request of 100 details on a ten print. With a specific end goal to hunt and match fingerprints, the organize area and the introduction of the edge at every minutia point are recorded. Figure 4-1 demonstrates a case of the two sorts of details. The particulars are set apart in the correct picture, and the tails on the markers point toward the minutia's introduction.