FRS 531

PHYSICAL EVIDENCE

EXPERIMENT 3: FORENSICS HAIR ANALYSIS

NAME : SITI SARRA BINTI MOHAMAD NAZAM

GROUP : AS 253 3A1
ID : 2018424178
LAB INSTRUCTOR: EZLAN BIN ELIAS
INTRODUCTION
Hair is one of the physical evidence that we can from a crime scene. But, eventually
hair is no longer a good evidence that we can use to be presented in court. Its need to be
presented with other evidence and clues to help solve the crime. The characteristics that
will be found in hair by analysing colour that showed by the pigment, cuticular scales,
shape of medulla and the medulla index. Other than that, we also need to identify either the
hair evidence is animal hair or human hair or a fibre and even from which part of the human
body does the hair come from such as head, face eyebrow, eyelashes, armpit, chest, leg,
arm or pubic hair.
In this experiment of hair analysis, we are going to learn about the hair anatomy of
human and animals to differentiate. We also will identify each characteristics of the hair
when it is being cut using difference object. The condition of hair when its naturally shed
or forcibly removed hair and effect of hair on flame.
PROCEDURE
PART A: Examining human hairs
1. A drop of water was placed in the centre of a clean microscope slide. A head hair
was pulled and mounted on the slide on the drop of water. Cover slip was applied.
The hair was analyse under 100x and 400x magnification. Other part of body hair
also been examined.

PART B: Examining Animal Hairs

1. Animal hair slide was prepared by following procedure from part A.

PART C: Naturally Shed vs Forcibly Removed hair

1. A naturally shed hair and forcibly removed hair by pulling one was differentiate by
examining the root of the hair.

PART D: Examination of cuts and damages in hair

1. Cut ends of hairs using a clipper or a pair of scissors was observed
2. Hair subjected to blunt violence using a hammer was observed.
3. Hair subjected to cut using a chopper knife was observed.
4. Razor blade cuts of hair was observed
5. Effect of flame on hair was also being observed.
6. Effect on forceps and tweezers and hand pulling were also being identified.
RESULTS

cuticle

cortex

medulla

Red hair
b. Hair based on races

African head hair

Caucasian hair

Asian head hair

 c. Type of hair on body

medulla
cortex

cuticle

Pubic hair

cortex
cuticle

medulla

Beard hair

cortex

medulla

cuticle
Head hair
 cortex

cuticle
Armpit hair

cuticle medulla

cortex

Eyelashes
 d. Animals hair vs human hair

cuticle

medulla

cortex

cat hair

cortex
medulla

horse hair
e. Cuts and damages hair

Forcibly removed hair

Naturally shed hair

 Scissors cut

Razor cut

Burnt hair (flame effect)

Blunt violence object hit
DISCUSSION
Hair can be classified into colour, diameter, length, morphology and shape. In this
experiment, we can identify all the classification to get the characteristic of each hair.
In the first picture showing a labelled hair anatomy which contains cuticle as the
outer layer, cortex and the medulla at the centre of the hair. The cuticle is outer layer of the
hair shaft that formed to protect the hair shaft. Although it is the outermost layer, cuticle
does not responsible in giving coloured to our hair, pigment that are presence in the cortex
does. Cortex responsible in giving the hair shape as it is the thickest layer in the hair. The
pigment distribution in cortex are vary from any human or animals. Medulla is the soft and
fragile layer in the hair structure as it is in the centre of the hair. Medulla has three type of
pattern which are continuous, interrupted and fragmented. The pattern of medulla also
varies from any human or animal. Not all hairs have medulla.
Hair also have different characteristic based on our races. In diagram (b) type of hair
based on races shows three type of hair from African, Caucasian and Asian hair. The
characteristic of the hair will be simplified in the table below
African hair Caucasian hair Asian hair
Curly, wavy and coiled Fine to medium, Coarse straight
straight or wavy, Thick
blonde, brown and black reddish
Large pigment granules Even pigmentation Large pigment granules
clumped

Based on an article from a hair expert IdleMan, asian and caucasian people have round
follicle while african has slightly oval shape follicle. East Asian hair, in particular, is
stronger, thicker, more resistant to damages and hair loss when compared to other hair
types.
Next, every part of our body also have different characteristic of hair. In diagram
(c) type of hair on body shows the structure of the 3 layers differ in every type of hair.
Table below show the characteristic of medulla the hair shown in the diagram in results
above:
Pubic hair Beard hair Head hair Armpit hair eyelashes
medulla Continuous Continuous fragment absence interrupted

The characteristic of the medulla does vary based on type of hair on our body even from
the same person.
Furthermore, we also need to identify the differences between animal hair and
human hair as crime can be anywhere and involve animals as pets. In diagram (d), it shows
the presence of medulla in animal hair structure while medulla is absent in human hair
structure. This is due to animals have more thick medulla compared to human. The
examples given were also a cat and horse hair structure that show a very thick medulla
compared to the cortex in the middle of the structure of hair. Human has a thin layer of
medulla and even might be does not exist in some part of the hair.
We also can see difference in the structure of hair when it is forcibly pulled or
naturally shed. Before our hair shed naturally, it will undergo three phases which are
anagen, catagen and telogen. Anagen phase is the rapid growth of our hair that will take
place about 2 to 6 years. Next, in catagen phase which is the transition phase about 1 -2
weeks before it shed naturally in telogen phase. The dermal papilla will detach from the
hair follicle. This dermal papilla or tissue will determine either the hair we obtained at a
crime scene is a naturally shed or being forcibly pulled. This is because, when tissue is
presence at the hair follicle, it means that it is being pulled while if the end of hair follicle
is clear, the hair just shed naturally. The end of the hair follicle will also be bent and crooked
if it being pulled as in diagram 1 in (e).
Hair that is being cut by scissors and razor blade also can be differentiate by the cut
ends under microscope. If the hair is being cut by a sharp scissors, the end will look like in
diagram 3 in (e). It is very clean and straight cut. While for razor blade cut, it has a slanted
pattern. When the hair is exposed to flame, the heat apllied will destroy the structure of the
protein in hair such as in diagram 5. Hair is made up of protein called keratin. Next, when
a blunt object hit our hair, the structure will be like in diagram 6 in (e). The hair is like
being broken and crushed. So we got to see there are many charactherostic that we can
classify the hair to get the hint of the crime scene and some lead to capturing the culprit.
But, this evidence need to come up with other clues and sometimes, we cannot consoder it
as an evidence.
In the United States of America, there are about 2000 cases need to be retrial due to
lack of evidence from the hair analysis and had wrongly accused the suspect for the crime.
In my opinion, hair analysis can be used as evidence if we upgrade our ways and find new
charactheristics that can show more and help more to act as evidence.

CONCLUSION
To conclude, we had identify the structure of hair and their charactheristics in different
subjected situation such as being cut by scissors,razor blade, hammered, being forcibly
pulled, shed naturally, exposed to flamed and even can identify the difference between
human and animal hair by comparing the size of the medulla and different part of hair from
different part of body.
REFERENCES
1. R. Saferstein, 2015, Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic Science eleventh
edition, Pearson.
2. Circumstantial evidence. N.S retrived by https://legaldictionary.net/circumstantial-
evidence/

QUESTION
1. What physical characteristics of hair did you used to help distinguished one type
from other? Support with specific examples from your observations.

The size or diameter of the hair shaft. There are 3 types texture of hair which is fine,
medium and coarse. The medulla pattern also will help in distinguish the hair from
other. There are 3 pattern of medulla which is continuous, interfered and fragment
and even absent. The size of the medulla also helps in distinguish type of hair. As
example, the size of animal medulla is much more thick than human’s hair medulla.
The pattern of medulla can be observed and differentiate by observing hair on
different part of body such as armpit and pubic hair.

2. Explain why hair is considered circumstantial evidence instead of a positive means

of identification as fingerprints are.
This type of evidence also is indirect evidence that will create more than one
hypothesis and lead to more conclusion. It need other evidence to support the hair
evidence as its only strongly suggest but not prove.

3. Even though considered circumstantial, why hair considered important evidence?

Give example to support your point.
Circumstantial evidence is the prove that we are on the crime scene. Circumstantial
evidence, which can be derived from a variety of sources, can be used to lay a
foundation of belief, and backed up by witness testimony and direct evidence for
credibility. As example, there are B hairs on the crime scene and neighbour saw B
came out from the crime scene, but B denied that he was at the crime scene. But as
the neighbour testify that he was there, so the hair evidence may lead to judge to
belief it is more likely B was the culprit.

4. What differences did you find between human and animal hair?
Animal hair have a really thick medulla while human hair has thin medulla and
either sometimes human hair does not have medulla. The cortex in animal also in
small portion as the medulla dominate the hair shaft.

5. What have you learned about hair that you did not know before? Be specific.
I have learned that animal hair and human hair have different characteristics by their
size of medulla. I also learned that even the hair on our body have different
characteristic even from the same person but different part of body.
6. How can you apply what you have learned from this investigation to a criminal
investigation? Be specific and support your answer with clear examples.