Essential Question

What microscopic examination of hair will determine whether it is human or animal origin?

 Medulla examination, the medulla is Usually narrower in width in human hair when present.
Has finer and more numerous cross striations. Animal hairs usually consist of both heavy guard
hair and finer fur hair whereas human hair does not.

Vertical
1 Cortex
3 Medulla
5 Cotton
Horizontal
2 Root
4 Textile
6 Cuticle
Analyze this!

Direction: Answer the following.

1. What are the words in the activity above?

 Cortex, root, medulla, textile, cotton, cuticle

2. Where do you think are those words connected or related? Justify your answer. (5 points).
 The words above are connected to hair and textile fiber. Because, cortex is the intermediate
and the thickest layer of the shaft of the hair, root is a portion of the hair embedded in the
skin, medulla is the central canal of the hair, textile is derived from the Latin word textilis,
cotton is a unicellular filament, flat, ribbon- like, twisted spirally to right or left on its axis,
and cuticle is the outermost covering of the hair.

3. Cite at least one common crime scene those words connected. How does knowledge in collection,
preservation, and packing of hair and textile fiber evidences help solve the crime? (30 points).
 Rape, where in the victim was able to tweak a part of the victim’s hair leaving it on the crime
scene. If the person knows how to preserve evidence it will make the search much faster,
this type of evidence makes the case much easier to solve because it gives direct idea or
image as to what or who the perpetrator may be, it is also important to know how to
preserve these kind of evidence as they can be easily cross contaminated.

Apply this!

Directions: Write this on a one whole sheet of paper. Write a hypothetical crime scene that involves
investigation about hair and textile fibers. (Hint: Use the principles that you have learnt from the
lessons/ modules previously given as applicable). Use STAR approach in narrating the crime scene. S=
situation (set the scene) T= task (describe the purpose) A= action (explain what you did) R= result (share
the outcome) (30 points)
  A burglar entered a home at exactly 11 P.M, he noticed that there was no one in the house,
he tried to open the door but it was locked, his only way to enter was through the window,
he smashed it open and went through the window with shattered glass he didn’t notice that
his shirt was torn and he got cut in the back by the glass hanging in the window. A few hours
later the owner of the house noticed that the window was broken and their belongings was
gone, they filed a report as to who was the burglar, the investigators found the torn part of
the burglar’s shirt and a small amount of blood on the glass, the investigators immediately
collected the sample, they placed the fiber in an air dried and sealed bag preventing the loss
of trace evidence and labelled all the evidence containers with submitter’s initials, ID/badge
number, agency name, case number, item number, source, and date. After waiting for the
initial result, they found a matching DNA type through the blood and after that the law
enforcer recovered the cloth that was torn.

Read pa more!

Direction. Answer the question below. (20 points) What is burglary? How does hair and fiber textile help
solve burglary? Support your answer.

 Burglary is typically defined as the unlawful entry into almost any structure (not just a home
or business) with the intent to commit any crime inside (not just theft/larceny). No physical
breaking and entering is required; the offender may simply trespass through an open door,
unauthorized breaking and entry. Unlike robbery, which involves use of force or fear to
obtain another person's property, there is usually no victim present during a burglary. It is
valuable because the hair of each kind of animal is different and distinct for all others. Like
fiber it is mostly likely to be involved in contact between the victim and the suspect. Most
crimes cause contact between one person and another and there may be transfer of fibers
and hairs from the victim to the criminal and vice-versa. The successful investigation of
crimes of violence such as rape, murder, assault, kidnapping, hit and run, etc. are frequently
materially assisted by the result of the examination of the hairs and fibers. Hairs are very
resistant to decomposition and putrefaction thus they often remain as a means of
identification long after others such as facial and fingerprints have been destroyed.

Assessment Direction:

Answer the following:

1. How does manner by which hair had been cut help solve a crime? (5 points)
 Hair samples can be compared taking a shed sample at the crime scene to the hair from a
suspect to establish a similarity within a limited degree of certainty. If the hair happens to
have been pulled out and still has root tissue, there is a possibility for more positive
identification using DNA analysis.

2. How do we know that the questioned hair is forcibly pulled? (5 points)

 If the hair happens to have been pulled out and still has root tissue, there is a possibility for
more positive identification using DNA analysis.
3. How does medulla help determine the human or animal origin of hair? (5 points)

 The diameter of the medulla is very little importance but the relationship between the
diameter of the medulla and the diameter of the whole hair great importance. Medullary
Index (M.I.) is the relationship between the diameter of the medulla and the diameter of the
whole hair. Usually expressed in fraction. Its determination is performed under a
microscope provided with micrometer eyepiece. Hair with narrow medulla (less than 0.5)
belongs to human and certain monkey hair. Hair with medium medulla (approximately 0.5)
belongs to hair of cow, horse and others. Hair with thick medulla (greater than 0.5) almost
all animals belong to this. Based on the medulla examination, it can be determined whether
hair is human or animal origin. The medulla is Usually narrower in width in human hair when
present. Has finer and more numerous cross striations. Animal hairs usually consist of both
heavy guard hair and finer fur hair whereas human hair does not.