unit 3:Fingerprinting and Crime Scene Investigation

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to fingerprint analysis and its significance in crime scene investigation.

Fingerprinting

A means of personal identification based on the unique patterns of friction skin ridges found on the palm side of fingers and thumbs.

Minutiae

The specific ridge characteristics or details in a fingerprint that help in individual identification.

Latent fingerprints

Invisible prints left on a surface, which can be developed using physical or chemical methods.

Visible fingerprints

Fingerprints that are easily seen, often made by direct contact with a colored substance.

Plastic fingerprints

Three-dimensional fingerprints left in soft material, such as wax or clay.

Ridge Patterns

The general classifications of fingerprints, including loops, whorls, and arches.

Percentage of fingerprint patterns in the population

65% loops, 30% whorls, and 5% arches.

Ridge endings

A specific type of minutiae where a ridge ends abruptly.

Bifurcation

A minutiae pattern where a ridge splits into two separate ridges.

Delta

A point on a fingerprint where ridge patterns diverge, often resembling a triangle.

Individuality of fingerprints

Determined by the unique minutiae patterns rather than general classification.

Ridge characteristics

Specific details in fingerprint patterns that are analyzed during identification.