Trace evidence

Q: Who said, "Every contact leaves a trace"?

A: Edmund Locard

Q: What is another name for microscopic evidence?

A: Trace evidence

Q: What are three common methods of collecting trace evidence?

A: Visual examination, scraping, and taping

Q: What can paint evidence help determine?

A: Make/model of a vehicle, if contact occurred between surfaces

Q: What does SEM stand for, and how strong is it?

A: Scanning Electron Microscope; magnifies up to 830,000x

Q: What kind of DNA is found in a hair with the root?

A: Nuclear DNA

Q: What kind of DNA is found in hair without a root?

A: Mitochondrial DNA

Q: What protein is hair made of?

A: Keratin

Q: What are the three main parts of a hair strand?

A: Cuticle, Cortex, Medulla

Q: In the pencil analogy of hair, what part does the cuticle represent?

A: The paint

Q: In the pencil analogy, what part of the pencil is the cortex?

A: The wood

Q: In the pencil analogy, what part is the medulla?

A: The lead

Q: What can the cortex of hair tell us?

A: Pigment, color, and possibly individual identity

Q: What is a fiber?

A: The smallest unit of a textile, much longer than its diameter

Q: What is cross-transfer in fiber evidence?

A: Transfer of fibers between victim and suspect suggesting contact

Q: Name two natural fibers.

A: Cotton, Wool

Q: Name two synthetic (man-made) fibers.

A: Nylon, Polyester

Q: What method is used to separate dyes in fiber analysis?

A: Chromatography

Q: What does GSR stand for, and how soon must it be collected?

A: Gunshot Residue; within 6 hours

Q: What can soil or dirt evidence reveal?

A: Where a person lives, works, or has recently been