CRIM 504 FORENSIC SCIENCE TERMINOLOGIES

 portrait is on the 100 peso note - Features the portrait of Melchora Aquino, a
Filipino revolutionary during the Philippine Revolution, who became known as
"Tandang Sora".

 Watermark- A watermark is an identifying image or pattern in paper that appears

as various shades of lightness/darkness when viewed by transmitted light,
caused by thickness or density variations in the paper. Watermarks have been
used on postage stamps, currency, and other government documents to
discourage counterfeiting

 Vignette -A vignette is a darker border - sometimes as a blur or a shadow - at

the periphery of photos. It can be an intentional effect to highlight certain
aspects of the image or as a result of using the wrong settings, equipment or lens
when taking a photo.

 Reclusion Temporal- Reclusion temporal: Included in the penalty in its

entirety: From 12 years and 1 day to 20 years. Included in its minimum period:
From 12 years and 1 day to 14 years and 8 months.

 Cortex - the outer layer that lies on top of your cerebrum. Your cerebrum is
the largest area of your brain. Your cerebrum divides your brain into two halves
called hemispheres. The hemispheres are attached by a bundle of nerve fibers
called the corpus callosum

 Cuneiform - cuneiform law, the body of laws revealed by documents written in

cuneiform, a system of writing invented by the ancient Sumerians and used
in the Middle East in the last three millennia bc.

 Shadowgraph- Shadowgraph is an optical method that reveals non-uniformities in

transparent media like air, water, or glass. It is related to, but simpler than, the
schlieren and schlieren photography methods that perform a similar function.
Shadowgraph is a type of flow visualisation.

 Falsification of documents- Falsification of documents, forgery, and fraud are

categorized as white colour crime offences. To establish successful
prosecution and civil claim, the prosecutor and claimant must prove the intention
and conduct of the accused person and the presumption of intention that fall
under respective statutory provision. Article 172 punishes the crime of
Falsification of a Private Document with the penalty of prision correccional in its
medium and maximum periods with a duration of two (2) years, four (4) months
and one (1) day to six (6) years.

 Criminalistic Examination-
Criminalistics can be defined as the application of scientific methods to the
recognition, collection, identification, and comparison of physical evidence
generated by criminal or illegal civil activity.

 pre test  A preliminary test, given in advance of instruction or evaluation.

 posttest -  a test given to students after completion of an instructional

program or segment and often used in conjunction with a pretest to measure
their achievement and the effectiveness of the program

 William Marston- William Moulton Marston, also known by the pen name Charles
Moulton, was an American psychologist who, with his wife Elizabeth Holloway,
 invented an early prototype of the lie detector. He was also known as a self-help
author and comic book writer who created the character Wonder Woman. He
went on to invent the systolic blood pressure test, which used blood pressure
cuffs and a stethoscope to take intermittent blood pressure during questioning,
and ostensibly revealed changes when the subject was lying. This was the first
functional lie detector. (May 9, 1893- May 2 1947)

 Control questions- The control question must be a lie or be difficult to answer

truthfully so as to elicit the same emotional states which will be potentially elicited
in the subject's responses to the questions relevant to the target incident. An
example of a control question might be, "Before the age of 25, did you ever
steal anything from a place you worked?" Control questions are designed to
cover a long period of time, which may make the subject even more doubtful
about the veracity of answers provided.

 weak relevant questions- a question format used in polygraph testing in which

physiological responses accompanying questions relevant to a crime (e.g., “Did
you steal from the office?”) are compared with responses accompanying
questions irrelevant to the crime (e.g., “Are you 24 years old?”).

 Strong relevant questions- A relevant question is one that deals with the real
issue of concern to the investigation. These questions include asking whether
the examinee perpetrated the target act or knows who did it and perhaps
questions about particular pieces of evidence that would incriminate the guilty
person.For example, if you're interviewing someone about their experience with
your company's product or service for a white paper. Be prepared with questions
such as: “How did that make you feel?,” “Why did you take that course of
action?” or “Can you tell me how you arrived at that decision?”

 pitch of rifling - The rate of twist is the distance the rifling needs to spiral down
the barrel for it to complete a single revolution. An example would 1 turn in 12
inches. The term pitch refers to the angle at which the rifling is cut in the
barrel. The length of the barrel in which the rifling twist completes one
turn is also called “ Pitch”. ➢ Greater the velocity, the flatter the trajectory of the
projectile.

 Breechblock impression- Each firearm has its. own unique scratches and marks
on its Breechblock – and these unique marks are pressed. into the Headstamp of
the cartridge case when the gun is fired. Breechblock marks can be. used
as Individual Evidence to identify the gun that fired a cartridge.

 Maximum Range- The maximum ranges can be more than a mile for some
handgun bullets and more than 4.5 miles for some rifle bullets.

 Pistol- A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to

its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used
interchangeably.

 Velocity-  the directional speed of an object in motion as an indication of its

rate of change in position as observed from a particular frame of reference
and as measured by a particular standard of time 

 Muzzle blast - an excessively loud report produced by a gun often having a

barrel shorter than standard or using a powder charge greater than standard and
usually attributed to powder exploding both within and without the barrel as well
as to the impact of gases on the outside atmosphere.\
 Belted type- Belted case. These have a pronounced raised belt encircling the
base of the cartridge. This belt is for additional strength in high- pressure
cartridges. The metric designation is ' B'. This type of cartridge case is generally
only found in very high-powered rifle cartridges or military cannon ammunition.

 Hang fire- Hang fire refers to an unexpected delay between the triggering of a
firearm and the ignition of the propellant. This failure was common in firearm
actions that relied on open primer pans, due to the poor or inconsistent quality of
the powder. Modern firearms are also susceptible. to delay making a decision:
Ideally we would settle the matter now, but I think we should hang fire until the
general situation becomes clearer. Delaying and wasting time.

 Misfire- to have the explosive or propulsive charge fail to ignite at the

proper time. the engine misfired. : to fail to fire

 Back fire
 Dud ammunition- A dud is an ammunition round or explosive that fails to fire or
detonate, respectively, on time or on command. Poorly designed devices, and
small devices, have higher chances of being duds. Duds are still dangerous, and
can explode if handled. They have to be deactivated and disposed of carefully.

 Tortion balance- Used for determining weights of bullets or shotgun pellets –

for possible determination of type, caliber and make of firearms from which fired.

o Whorls- - form circular or spiral patterns, like tiny whirlpools. There

are four groups of whorls: plain (concentric circles), central pocket loop (a
loop with a whorl at the end), double loop (two loops that create an S-like
pattern) and accidental loop (irregular shaped).

o Arches- Arch fingerprints have ridges that form a hill. Some arches look
like they have a pointed tent shape. Arches are the least common type of
fingerprint.

o Radial loop- Radial loop- radial loops (pointing toward the radius
bone, or thumb)

o Ulnar loop-  ulnar loops (pointing toward the ulna bone, or pinky),

o Delta- The delta is that point on a ridge at or in front of and nearest

the center of the divergence of the type lines. The Core as the name
implies, is the approximate center of the finger impression. Points of
Identification - Ridge ending, bifurcation, enclosure, short ridge & ridge
dot.

o Core- The Core as the name implies, is the approximate center of the
finger impression. Points of Identification - Ridge ending, bifurcation,
enclosure, short ridge & ridge dot. Ridge ending Point where a friction
ridge ends. Bifurcation - Point where a friction ridge forks and becomes
two separate ridges.

o Divergence-  divergence is the spreading apart of two lines which

have been running parallel or nearly parallel. According to the narrow
meaning of the words in fingerprint parlance, a single ridge may bifurcate,
but it may not be said to diverge.

o Convergence- the two ridges that meet at a certain point.

 o Sir William Herschel- Having conducted his own specific study, in 1880
he sent a letter to the famous naturalist Charles Darwin, suggesting that
fingerprints were unique, classifiable and permanent. That same
year Herschel became the first person to publish a paper in a
scientific magazine on the use of fingerprints to identify individuals.
Sir William James Herschel, 2nd Baronet (9 January 1833-24 October
1917) is credited with being the first European to recognize
fingerprints as a unique form of identification.

o Key Classification- the key classification is the first loop, if they no have
loop both hand use the whorl and the arch is always dash (-) except the
little finger.

o Final Classification- the final classification is the little finger ridge

W4

X7

counting in loops and whorl the arch is dash(-)

a
X7

Ans: 4
7

Ans: --
7

o Major Classification- The major classification is the value of the ridge

counts or the tracings of fingers 1 & 6.(THIMB)
Table 1 Table 2
1-11- Small 1-17- Small
12-16- Medium 18-22 Medium
17- Large 23- Large
Left thumb is below 16 use the table 1 if:
Left thumb is above 17 use the table 2

o Secondary Classification- Represented by CAPITAL and Small Letter

combination based on the interpretation made during the blocking.
Capital letter- Focus on INDEX FINGER (R,U,A,T,W,C,D,X)
Small Letter- Focus on other fingers Radial, Arch, Tented(RAT).
The ulnar loop and whorl family are consider dash(-)

o Sub-Secondary Classification- Derived by ( Ridge counting of loop) ridge

tracing of whorl found in the INDEX, MIDDLE, RING only. Both ARCH are
always DASH(-)
Formula: Inner Outer
 Index 1 to 9 10 or more
Middle 1 to 10 11 or more
Ring 1 to 13 14 or more

o Dr.Marcelo Malpighi- Marcello Malpighi (1628–1694) is considered

the father of modern pathology and physiopathology. He correlated
diseases to specific gross and microscopic anatomic changes, laying the
basis of modern physiology and embryology

o Ridge counting- the process of counting the ridge cross by the line from
delta to core.

o Ridge tracing- The course of the lower ridge of the delta, is followed
and it will be found either to meet or to go inside or to go outside the
corresponding ridge of the delta.

o Juan Vucetich- Juan Vucetich, an employee of the police of the province

of Buenos Aires in 1888, devised an original system of fingerprint
classification published in book form under the
title Dactiloscopía comparada (1904; “Comparative Fingerprinting”).
His system is still used in most Spanish-speaking countries. Argentine
police official Juan Vucetich, expanding on British research, created the
first fingerprint identification system in 1892, and in doing so
introduced the role of biometric data in crime-solving. 

o Tented Arch- A pattern type of a pattern possess an angle, an uptrust, or

two of the three basic characteristics of the loop.

o Plain Arch- A pattern type that has ridges enter on one side of the pattern
flow to the other side with a rise in the center.

o Henry Faulds- Henry Faulds (1843-1930), born in Ayrshire, studied at

the University of Glasgow from 1865-1871. He was among the
pioneering researchers of modern day fingerprint technology and
the forensic application of fingerprints.

o DIN- DIN. Deutsches Institut für Normung. A logarithmic system for

expressing film speed in common use in Europe since 1934. Now
combined with the ASA linear system, in the form of the ISO system.

o ASA- The ASA (American Standards Association) scale is an arbitrary

rating of film speed; that is, the sensitivity of the film to light. If
everything else is kept constant, the required exposure time is inversely
proportional to the ASA rating. It's simply a change of names to
internationalize film speed readings. ASA 200 film and ISO 200 film have
exactly the same speed. As to what speed film to use, this can vary from
situation to situation and from camera to camera.

 ISO- ISO (International Standard Organization) is your camera's sensitivity to

light as it pertains to either film or a digital sensor. A lower ISO value means
less sensitivity to light, while a higher ISO means more sensitivity.
How to Determine the Best ISO Settings

 ISO 100-200: Best for bright daylight. ...

 ISO 200-400: Slightly less ambient light, such as indoors during the daytime or outdoors
in the shade.
 ISO 400-800: Indoors, with a flash.
 ISO 800-1600: Low light indoors or at night when you can't use a flash

 Astigmatism- is a form of lens defects in which the horizontal and vertical axis are
not equally magnified. Inability of the lens to focus both horizontal and vertical
lines.

 BROMIDE PAPER- used projection, printing and enlarging process. This is one
of the most ideal photo paper used for police photography. Will give a black tone
when properly developed.

 Chromatic Abberations- also known as color fringing, is a color distortion that
creates an outline of unwanted color along the edges of objects in a
photograph. Often, it appears along metallic surfaces or where there's a high
contrast between light and dark objects, such as a black wall in front of a bright
blue sky.

 COMA- (Also known as lateral aberration) = Inability of the lens to focus light that
travels straight or lateral, thus making it blurred while the light reaching the lens
oblique is the one the is transmitted sharp.

 Depth of field- Depth of field is the amount of area in front of (foreground) and
behind (background) an object that remains in focus.

 Bright Sunlight- object in an open space casts a deep and uniform shadow and
the object appears glossy.

 Dull Sunlight- object in an open space cast no shadow due to thick clouds
covering the sun.

 Hazy Sunlight- object in an open space casts a transparent or bluish shadow.

This is due to thin clouds that cover the sun.

 Base- Support the emulsion

 Anti-Halation Backing- is the one designed to hold back the light and prevents
halation.

 Emulsion- is that part of the film or photographic paper which contains the silver
grains which is the one sensitive to light. In a colored film this emulsion surface
can be composed of three layers (Blue, Green and Red) with filters intervening.
 Exposure- Exposure is the amount of light that reaches your camera's
sensor, creating visual data over a period of time.

 Film- A sheet or strip of celluloid coated with light-sensitive emulsion for exposure
in a camera.

 Shutter- Mechanical device that regulates the time light can act upon the film.

 Aperture- Adjustable opening, also referred to as f-stop, that controls the amount
of light that is focused on the film.
  Tire marks- A tire mark is the general class of marks left by a tire, whether
rolling or locked. A tire skid mark is left by a locked, sliding tire. There are
different types of tire marks associated with a traffic accident investigation.

There are different types of tire marks. These are,

a) Scuff Marks: Refers to the tire marks made by a rotating or yawning vehicle, a vehicle
acceleration, or a flat tire.
b) Yaw Marks: These tire marks are made by a tire that is turning and sliding sideways
parallel to tank wheel’s axle, and also referred to as sideslip or a critical speed scuff
marks.
c) Skid Marks: These impressions of tire made by a locked wheel caused by the
application of the brakes.
d) Print Marks: Tire marks that are made by the rolling tire are called print marks.
e) Scrub Marks: When a wheel locked due to damage, then this kind of tire marks are left
by the vehicle

 Tool marks- A tool mark is any impression, scratch, or abrasion made when
contact occurs between a tool and an object. i. Tool marks can be linked to
tools used at a crime scene, and ultimately may be used to help find the suspect
who used it.

 SILICA OF GLASS- is typically a comparison of two or more glass fragments

in an attempt to determine if they originated from different sources.

 Primary high explosive- Among the high explosives, primary explosives

are those that ultrasensitive to heat, shock, or friction and provide the
major ingredients found in blasting caps or primers used to detonate other
explosives. Examples include nitroglycerine, and mercury fulminate & lead
styphnate.

 Secondary high explosive- Secondary high explosives, chiefly nitrates, nitro

compounds, and nitramines, are much less sensitive to mechanical or thermal
shock, but they explode with great violence when set off by an initiating
explosive.

 low explosives- Low explosives are mixtures of chemicals that burn very

rapidly, but subsonically (as opposed to supersonically), meaning that they
“deflagrate.” They consist typically of fuel and an oxidizer. The black powder used
in fireworks is one example of a low explosive.

 Laminated glass- laminated glass. a double layer of glass held together by a

middle layer of polyvinyl butyral (plastic); a type of safety glass used for
windshields. glass. a hard, transparent, amorphous, brittle solid made by
heating a mixture of silica and other materials.

 Tempered glass- Glass that has been subjected to extreme temperatures or

chemical treatments to improve its strength is called tempered glass, or
safety glass. Tempered glass is stronger than normal glass due to rapid heating
and cooling.

 Radial cracks- Radial cracks are fractures extending outward from the point
of impact. Ream is an imperfection; nonhomogeneous layers of flat glass.
Wallner lines (ridges) are rib-shaped marks with a wave-like pattern.

 Concentric cracks- Concentric cracks are fractures forming in an

approximately circular pattern around the point of impact. They are usually
in straight segments that terminate in an existing radial crack. Cone or crater
 (Hertzian cone) is a funnel-shaped area of damage caused by a high-velocity
impact.

 Kastle-Meyer test- often used in television crime dramas to show the

presence of blood at a crime scene. Evidence that appears to be blood is
tested to determine if it is actually blood, and not something that just looks like
blood.

 Precipitin Test- Once a presumptive test indicates that a stain may be blood, the
serologist must confirm that it is human blood. Precipitin test identifies the
presence of proteins that are found only in human blood. On the surface of
red blood cells are molecules (proteins) called antigens.

 Barberio’s test- test for spermine that has been used in the past is called the
Barberio test and involves the microscopic confirmation of yellow crystals
that form when semen is exposed to an aqueous solution of picric acid.

 Alec Jeffreys- He was one of the first to discover inherited variation in

human DNA, then went on to invent DNA fingerprinting, showing how it can be
used to resolve issues of identity and kinship and creating the field of forensic
DNA.

 First Degree Burn- A first-degree burn, also called a superficial burn, only affects
the epidermis, or outer layer of skin. The burn site appears red, painful, dry,
and absent of blisters. Scarring is rare or minimal. The most common type of first-
degree burn is mild sunburn.

 Second Degree Burn- This type of burn affects both the epidermis and the
second layer of skin (dermis). It may cause swelling and red, white or splotchy
skin. Blisters may develop, and pain can be severe. Deep second-degree burns
can cause scarring.

 Third Degree Burn- Third-degree burns extend into the fat layer that lies
beneath the dermis. The skin may appear stiff, waxy white, leathery or tan.
These types of burns usually require skin grafts for wound closure.

 Extensor

 Triceps- The triceps brachii is a large, thick muscle on the dorsal part of the
upper arm. It often appears in the shape of a horseshoe on the posterior aspect
of the arm. The primary function of the triceps is the extension of the elbow
joint

 Flexor - Contracting your biceps exhibits flexion, i.e. it brings your forearm

closer to your upper arm and decreasing the angle between the two. So, your
biceps is described as a "flexor" muscle.

 Spencerian - relating to a style of sloping handwriting widely taught in American

schools from around 1850.

 Angular- results from two or more ridges converging with one another at a point.

 Proportion- is used to describe the idea that the punishment of a certain crime

should be in proportion to the severity of the crime itself.
  HIATUS- an interruption in time or continuity : break. especially : a period
when something (such as a program or activity) is suspended or interrupted. after
a 5-year hiatus from writing. a summer hiatus

 Diacretics - a mark near or through an alphabetic character to represent a

pronunciation different from that of the unmarked character.

 The alphabet comes from the first two letter of the Greek alphabet Philippines
have 28 letters, the 26 letters are coming from the Roman alphabet and two
letters were added which is the Ñ ñ and the letter NG. From what country letter Ñ
came from LATIN (SPANISH)

 Polygraph examiner- Polygraph examiners use polygraph equipment and

techniques to determine whether individuals have answered questions
truthfully or dishonestly. Polygraphs, often called "lie detectors," are
instruments that measure and record certain nonvoluntary body responses that
are affected by the individual's emotional state.

Components of polygraph machine- The three components of the polygraph instrument

include the cardio-sphygmograph, the pneumograph, and the galvanograph
1. PNEUMOGRAPH – consist of two 10 inches convulated tubes fastened around the
subjects chest and abdomen. During a test, as circumference of the subject’s chest and
abdomen increases with each inspiration of air, the pneumograph tubes stretch: as the
subject exhales, the contraction it moves.
Function: Records the changes of breathing and respiration of the subject.
2. GALVANOGRAPH – consist of electrodes attached to the index finger and the ring
finger of the left hand or to the palmar and dorsal surface of the left hand, the left hand is
suitable because of the fact that the blood pressure cuff attachment is on the right arm.
Function: It records the skin resistance of the subject to a very imperceptible amount of
electricity.
3. CARDIOSPHYGMOGRAPH – consist of blood pressure cuff and rubber pump, and
the SPHYGMOMANOMETER, of the typed used by physician. The blood pressure cuff is
fastened around the subject’s right arm in such away as to ensure that the rubber portion
of the cuff is placed over the brachial artery for a more satisdactorily recording. When the
rubber portion of the cuff is placed over the brachial artery for a more satisfactorily
recording. When the rubber cuff is inflated, the alternating distension and contraction of
the tissue of the subject’s arm, due to the changes in blood pressure (and probably blood
volume as well), cause an increase in pressure within the cuff and in the associated
belows.

 Rimmed type- The rim od the cartridge case is greater than the diameter of the
body of the cartridge.

 Skid marks-rifling marks formed on the bearing surface of bullets as they enter
the rifling of the barrel before rotation of the bullets starts.Skid marks are typically
produced by revolvers and have the appearance of a widening of the land
impression at their beginning point.

 Berthold Scwartz- BERTHOLD SCHWARTZ (CONSTANTIN ANKLITZEN) - A

MYSTERIOUS MONK OF FREIBURG, WHO ACCORDING TO LEGEND THAT
IS SUPPORTED BY AN ENGRAVING DATED 1643, WHILE EXPERIMENTING
 ON SOME POWDER IN A CAST IRON VESSEL, HE IGNITED A CHARGE AND
THUS BLEW OFF THE LID, AND FROM THIS DEDUCED THE PRINCIPLE OF
CONTAINING A CHARGE IN A TUBE AND PROPELLING A SHOT

 James Mackenzie- An English clinician and cardiologist, constructed the

Clinical Polygraph in 1892, an instrument to be used for medical examinations
with the capability to simultaneously record undulated line tracings of the
vascular pulses (radial, venous and arterial), by way of a stylus onto a revolving
drum of smoked paper.
 smooth bore - those that have no riflings inside the gun barrel for the breech
end up to the muzzle of the firearm.
 Lands & Grooves- GROOVES – the depressed channels cut in the interior
of a rifled gun barrel. LANDS – that raised portion between the grooves inside a
rifled gun barrel.
 interior ballistics- It is the study of motion of projectiles within the gun barrel.
The time during which the projectile is influenced by Interior Ballistics is very short.
From the release of the firing pin to the moment the sound of the shot can be heard
as it leaves the muzzle occupies only about 0.01 seconds, in a modern rifle.
 exterior ballistics - Exterior Ballistics deals with the motion of projectiles from
the time they leave the muzzle of the firearm to the time they hit the target. The
flight of most bullet or projectile does not exceed 30 seconds at maximum range,
which for almost any firearms is obtained at an elevation of about 33.
 MAGNUM -
 smokeless powder- In France, Vieille developed the first satisfactory smokeless
powder, a new propellant which not only lacked the smoke characteristic of black
powder, but also more powerful.
 Muskets
o Divergence- Two ridges running parallel or nearly parallel to each
other which separate in an opposite direction
o Convergence-
o Loop - A oblong curve such as found on the small letter "f", "g", "l" and
letters stroke "f" has two. A loop may be blind or open. A blind loop is
usually the result of the ink having filled the open space.
o Accidental Whorl- Symbolized by letter “X” in the classification. It is a
pattern which is a combination of two or more different types of pattern
except in the PLAIN ARCH. It is a pattern which is a combination of two or
more different types of pattern except in the PLAIN ARCH. It can be a
combination of a loop and a whorl, a loop and a central pocket loop whorl,
or any combination of two or more different loops and whorl type patterns.
o Arch- any arcade form in the body of a letter found in small letters which
contain arches.
o Plain Whorl - Symbolized by letter “W” in the classification. It is a
fingerprint pattern which there are two (2) deltas and in which at least one
(1) ridge makes a turn through one complete circuit, an imaginary line
drawn between the two (2) deltas must touch or cross at least one (1) of the
circuiting whorl ridges within the pattern area.

o Film - a thin flexible strip of plastic or other material coated with light-

sensitive emulsion for exposure in a camera, used to produce
photographs or motion pictures.
 o Camera- in photography, device for recording an image of an object on a
light-sensitive surface; it is essentially a light-tight box with an aperture to
admit light focused onto a sensitized film or plate.
 Polaroid- or instant, camera delivers a finished print directly following exposure.
Although most models are somewhat larger than the standard personal camera, the
advantage of this system is the convenience and speed of the results. Special film
used in conjunction with the camera is designed to develop itself, and represents
one of the more recent chemical revolutions in photography.
 Camera Obscura - Is a box used for sketching large objects? The term means
dark chamber. The box contains a mirror set at 45-degree angle. Mounted in the
front end of the box is a double convex lens like that in a photographic camera. Light
from the object or scene is transmitted through the lens. The mirror reflects this
light upward to ground glass screen on the top of the box. There the light forms an
image of the object or scene that can be sketched easily.
 SLR - Single-lens reflex means that the same lens is used for viewing and taking the
photograph. The movable mirror between the lens and the film reflects the image
on a ground-glass viewing screen while the user adjusts the focus. When the shutter
release button is depressed, a spring pushes the mirror out of the way, and the
image is recorded on the film
 Digital Camera-   a camera that produces digital images that can be
stored on a computer, displayed on a screen, and printed. 
 Film holder - is a accessory that holds one or more pieces of photographic film,
for insertion into a camera or optical scanning device
 Normal -
 Telephoto- as telephoto lens, or long focus lens has a longer focal length and
provides a close up image of a distant object. In contrast to the wide-angle lens, the
telephoto lens covers a small field of view and a shallower depth of field. Because of
shallow depth of field, there will be lack of sharpness of the subject focus areas in
the photograph to be produced. Another characteristics of the telephoto lens is
production of flat composition, far objects appear enlarged while near objects do
not appear proportionally large.
 Wide-angle lens- has a shorter focal length than the normal lens. As a result, it
covers a picture angle of 60 – 90 degrees. It enables photographing a widely
extended scene from a close proximity or within a confined area. The range for wide
angles for 35 mm SLR cameras includes 8mm, 24mm, 28 mm, and 35 mm. The 28
mm and 35 mm are the most important for general wide angle for police work.
 Gas chromatography - Gas chromatography is a common type of
chromatography used in analytical chemistry for separating and analyzing
compounds that can be vaporized without decomposition.
 Thin Layer Chromatography - (TLC) is an affinity-based method used to
separate compounds in a mixture. TLC is a highly versatile separation
method that is widely used for both qualitative and quantitative sample
analysis.
 Mathieu Orfila acute poisoning - He served as an expert and well-known
scientific investigator in important legal trials involving alleged poisonings
with arsenic and other chemical substances
 chronic poisoning - The term Chronic toxicity describes the toxic adverse
effect of substances such as drugs and chemicals from the repeated
exposure in a longer duration of time( month or years).
 interval limit that the examiner may ask a follow-up question - Between
each question, the examiner waits about 15 to 20 seconds until the response to
the last question is finished and physiological response 
 chart marking - CHART MARKING To facilitate evaluation and interpretation of
test charts, markings are made with the use of signs and symbols to enable the
examiner to determine the following:
1. exact time the test commenced and terminated
2. initial and final blood pressure and galvanograph readings
3. particular point where each question asked started and ended. Corresponding
identification of the question, and the type and time of answer given by the subject
4. duration and amplitude of reaction patterns
5. any instruction given or repetition of question made
6. any movement, cough tracing by the suspect or outside distractions that occurred
7. mechanical adjustment or re-adjustment made
8. extraneous factors affecting test chart such as paper jams
9. time interval between questions; and
10. chart number, name of subject, time, date, and place taken
 Stimulus - Stimulus definition, something that incites to action or exertion or
quickens action, feeling, thought, etc. The approval of others is a
potent stimulus.
 Bullet Comparison Microscope- This valuable instrument is specially
designed to permit the firearms examiner to determine the similarity and
dissimilarity between two fired bullets or two fired shells, by simultaneously
observing their magnified image in a single microscopic field.
 Col. Calvin Goddard- Calvin Hooker Goddard was a forensic scientist, army
officer, academic, researcher and a pioneer in forensic ballistics. He examined
the bullet casings in the 1929 St. Valentine's Day Massacre and showed that the
guns used were not police issued weapons, leading the investigators to conclude
it was a mob hit.
 Tattooing- (a.k.a. peppering) – caused by the embedding of unburnt and semi-
burnt powder particles into the surface of the target. These particles are slightly
heavier than the smoke particles. They retain motion to somewhat longer intervals
and consequently cause tattooing to a distance of about one and a-half times
blackening range.
 Contact wound- Contact wounds are self-explanatory and are diagnosable
by the presence of muzzle-imprint on the skin
 Smudging- Smudging is a way to energetically cleanse a space to invite
positive energy. 
 chemical reaction for 2KNO3+3C+S- This is an oxidation-reduction
(redox) reaction

 Pin fire cartridge- the first cartridge of a self –exploding type which enjoyed any
real general use was the type called the “pin fire” commonly attributed to Monsier
Le Facheux of Paris, around 1896. Pin-fire cartridges were made for all types was
small arms in appearance to a modern shotgun shell wherein it had a head of the
cartridge and a percussion fixed by a wad or metal cup. The percussion had a pin
resting on its detonating compound. The end protruding of the e pin is hit by a
hammer coming down vertically from the side of the cartridge instead of
penetrating horizontally from its fear. This type of cartridge is no longer used.

 Class Characteristics - are those characteristics which are determinable even

before the manufacture of the firearm. It is categorized into the following:
a. Caliber
b. Number of Lands and Grooves
c. Width of Lands and Grooves
 d. Twist of riflings
e. Pitch of the rifling
f. Depth of grooves
 Individual Characteristics- are those characteristics which are determinable
only after the manufacture of the firearm. They are characteristics whose existence
is beyond the control of man and which have a random distribution. Their existence
in a firearm is brought about by the tools in their normal operation resulting through
wear, tear, abuse, mutilations, corrosion, erosions and other fortuitous causes.
These are the irregularities found on the inner surface of the barrel and on the
breech face of the breechblock of the firearms as a result of the failure of the tool
beyond the control of the manufacturer to make them smooth as a minor.
 Rifling Marks- rifling is machining helical grooves into the internal (bore)
surface of a gun's barrel for the purpose of exerting torque and thus imparting
a spin to a projectile around its longitudinal axis during shooting to stabilize the
projectile longitudinally by conservation of angular momentum, improving
its aerodynamic stability and accuracy over smoothbore designs.

 Shear Marks – also known as shaving marks

- partial shaving near the nose of fired bullet, resulting from
cylinder misalignment in a revolver
o Fingerprint - a composite of the ridge outlines which appears on the
skin surface of the bulbs on the inside of the end of
joints of the fingers and thumbs
 families of fingerprint pattern
o Delta - a point on the first ridge formation at or directly in front or near

the center of the divergence of the type lines

o Chiroscopy - science of palm print identification
 symbol for accidental whorl - Symbolized by letter “X”
o Type lines - basic boundaries of most fingerprints
o Pattern area - the part of the fingerprint which lies within the area
surrounded by the type lines.
o Bifurcation – single ridge divides into two and resembles a fork
shape
o Delta - a point on the first ridge formation at or directly in front or near

the center of the divergence of the type lines

o Rolled Impression – impression taken individually by rolling each

finger from one side to the other
- subject must be relaxed
o Plain Impression – impression is taken simultaneously
pressing the finger to the card
- subject may not be relaxed
o Type lines – diverging ridge that tend to surround the pattern
area
- innermost ridges
o Pattern area - part of the fingerprint wherein we find the core and
delta
 Emulsion – light sensitive containing minute silver suspended in gelatin
 Shutter - prevents light from reaching the film until the photographer is ready

to take a picture
 Developing – process by which an invisible latent image in an
emulsion is made visible
 Stop bath – halts the developer action in appropriate moment.
- also prevents the contamination of the developer and
fixer from each other.
 Transmitted light - Light that has passed through an object, as
distinguished from light reflected from a surface.
 Sir John Herschel - invented a photographic process using sensitized
paper.
- coined the word “photography”.
 1839 birth year of photography.
 Robert Boyle - Known for his law of gases, Boyle was a 17th-
century pioneer of modern chemistry.
- father of chemistry
 Isaac Newton – solved the chromatic aberration problem and
invented the reflecting microscope
 Joseph Nicephore Niepce – discovered that camera photographs on
paper are sensitized with silver chloride.
- successfully made the first known photograph. He is
credited as the inventor of photography
 Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre - made a public demonstration in
Paris “Daguerreotype” which is the first commercially successful
photographic process (1839-1860)

 High speed transparency film

 KNO3 composition of black powder? - 75% potassium nitrate (saltpeter
or saltpetre), 15% softwood charcoal , and 10% sulfur
 NaNO3 composition of black powder - charcoal (carbon), saltpeter
(potassium nitrate or sodium nitrate), and sulfur
 Florence test - used to detect the presence of choline
 Posology - the branch of medicine concerned with the determination
of appropriate doses of drugs
 major component of a glass – silica with nearly 70% of the mass
 approximate time for the completion of one case for DNA Testing -
minimum of four weeks
 Dr. Iturriouz -  first used paraffin for collecting gunpowder residues
fromdischarged firearm in Cubawhere the Paraffin test originated
 Yaw - the unstable rotating motion of a bullet
 Explosive - any substance that may cause an explosion by its sudden
decomposition or combustion.
- a material either pure single substance or mixture of
substances which is capable of producing an explosion by
its own energy
 old design Philippine currency bears a concealed value - the
denominational value superimposed at the smaller version portrait at
the upper left portion of the note and this becomes clearly visible when
the note is rotated 45 degrees and slightly tilted
 Serology - is the scientific study of serum and other body fluids.
  Spencerian system - there is simplification by the omission of extra
strokes and flourishes. And a general tendency toward plain-er letters
than the preceding system, some of which were very ornate - 1860-
1890

 Anthropometry - the scientific study of the measurements and
proportions of the human body.
 Herman Welcker - took the prints of his own palm. In 1897, (forty one
years later) he printed the same palm to prove that the prints do not
change. (Principle of Permanency).
 Principle of Permanency - The configuration and details of individual
ridges remain constant and unchanging till after the final decomposition
of the body
 Principle of Infallibility - That fingerprint is a reliable means of
personal identification and all courts accept and adopt fingerprint as a
means of personal identification.
 Principle of Uniquenes - There are no two fingerprints that are exactly
alike unless taken from the same finger.
John Dillinger - a notorious gangster and a police character, attempted to erase
his fingerprints by burning them with acid but as time went by the ridges were again
restored to their “natural” feature. The acid he applied temporarily destroyed the
epidermis of the bulbs of his fingers but re occur later.
o Viewfinder camera
 Slr camera - are among the most common in use today. Single-lens
reflex means that the same lens is used for viewing and taking the
photograph.
 Polaroid - or instant camera, it delivers a finished print directly
following exposure. Although most models are somewhat larger than
the standard personal camera, the advantage of this system is the
convenience and speed of the results.
 Electromagnetic spectrum - is the range of all types
of Electromagnetic radiation
 primary colors - red, green and blue
 Secondary colors - YELLOW (red and green), CYAN (blue and green)
and MAGENTA (blue and red)
 Refractions – bending of light passing from one medium to another.
 Depth of field - is the range in front of and behind a sharply focused
subject in which details also look sharp in the final photographic image.
 Angle of view
 Daguerreotype - It is a direct-positive process, creating a highly
detailed image on a sheet of copper plated with a thin coat of silver
without the use of a negative.
 Hertzian cone - the cone produced when an object passes through a
solid, such as a bullet through glass.
 Barberio’s test - involves the microscopic confirmation of yellow
crystals that form when semen is exposed to an aqueous solution of
picric acid.
 lacerated wound - produced by forcible contact of the body with a
blunt instrument.
 Corrosive - it has potassium chlorate – if ignited produces potassium
chloride which draws moisture from the air and this moisture speeds
the rusting and corrosion in gun barrels
 Jean Louis Petit
 Diphenylamine test - test to determine the presence of nitrates, a test
to determine whether a person fired a gun or not.
 Nitrates - Presence of nitrates (NO3) is determined by the addition of
diphenylamine reagent. If the color turned yellow green, nitrates are
present, and we may say that the firearms could have been fired but
not recently.
 Pen pressure - the average force with which the pen contacts the
paper. Pen pressure as opposed to pen emphasis deals with the usual
of average force involved in the writing rather than the period
increases.
 Varying pen pressure
 Pen speed
 Rubric
 Interlineation - the term "insertion" and "interlineations" include the
addition of writing and other material between lines or paragraphs or
the addition of whole page to a document.
 Hump - Upper portion of its letter "m","n","h" ,"k" - the rounded outside
of the top of the bend stroke or curve in small letter.
 Exemplar - A term used by some document examiners and attorneys
to characterize known material. Standard is the older term.
- exemplars refers more especially to a specimens of
standard writing offered in evidence or obtained or
request for comparison with the questioned writing.
 Genuine signature
 Standard document
 Requested document - Those which are given or made at the request
of an investigator for the purpose of making a comparative examination
with the questioned writing
 conventional signature
 highly individualized signature
 Collected standards - Those which can be obtained from files of
documents executed in the course of a person’s day business, official,
social, or personal activities. These specimens can also be obtained by
the investigators or presented by others (family, associates, etc.) who
have access to documents written by an individual.
 Commercial document - executed in accordance with the Code of
Commerce or any Mercantile Law, containing disposition of commercial
rights or obligations
 Document - Any material containing marks, symbols, or signs either
visible, partially visible that may present or ultimately convey a
meaning to someone, maybe in the form of pencil, ink writing,
typewriting, or printing on paper.
 Private document - executed by a private  person without the
intervention of a notary  public or  of  any person legally authorized, by
 which documents, some  disposition or agreement is proved,
evidenced  or  set forth
 Public document - notarized by a notary  public or  competent public
official with solemnities required  by law.
 mechanical erasure -
 security feature is found in 1000 peso note -
 Specific response
 Normal response
 Stimulus
 Frye vs U.S. - the District of Columbia Court rejected the scientific
validity of the lie detector (polygraph) because the technology did not
have significant general acceptance at that time.
 People v. Carpo, GR No.132676
 rules to be followed in the formulation of the questions in a
polygraph test
 Guilt complex test - This test is applied when the response to relevant
and control questions are similar in degree and in consistency and in a
way that the examiner cannot determine whether the subject is telling
the truth or not.
 Irrelevant Question - these are questions which have no bearing to
the case under investigation.
 Relevant Question - these are questions pertaining to the issue under
investigation. It is equally important to limit the number of relevant
questions to avoid discomfort to the subject. Relevant questions must
be very specific to obtain an accurate result
 John E. Reid - Devised an instrument for recording muscular activity.
The recording made simultaneously with blood pressure pulse
respiration tracings, renders much more accurate any diagnosis based
upon these later phenomena.
 pneumo 1 record – thoracic breathing
 pneumo 2 record – abdominal breathing
 Polygraph examiner – success of the polygraph test relies on their
skills
 Components of polygraph machine
 Rimmed type - has a flanged at the base which larger than the
diameter of the cartridge case body.
 Skid marks - due to worn out barrel. A marks that appear on the
bearing surface near the nose of the bullets.
 Berthold Scwartz - a German monk credited with the application of
gun powder to the propelling of a missile in the early 1300’s.
 Rebated cartridge - This features an extractor flanged with a diameter
that is less than the diameter of the cartridge case.  
 Extractor - That mechanism in a firearm by which the cartridge case or
shell is withdrawn from the chamber mechanism in a revolver that pulls
the empty shells simultaneously.
 Ejector - The mechanism in the firearm which causes the cartridge
case or shell to be thrown out from the gun.
 Signature - It is the name of a person written by him/her in a document
as a sign of acknowledgement.
 types of problem are there in Forensic Ballistics
 Terminal penetration - depth of entry of the bullet in the target.
 Core - It is a point on a ridge formation usually located at the center or
heart of a pattern.

 standard fingerprint patterns are there? 3, arches, loops and whorls
 Dactyloscopy - identification of persons through examination and
comparison of fingerprint.
- taken from Greek words: Dactylos – a finger and
skopien – to examine
 Sir Edward Richard Henry - was appointed assistant commissioner at
Scotland Yard. His system was so applicable that Henry emerged as
the “Father of Fingerprints,” at least as the first man to successfully
apply fingerprints for identification
 Epidermis - the top layer of skin in your body
 J.C.A. Mayer - stated in his book (Anatomische Kupfertafein Nebst
Dazu Geharigen) that although the arrangement of the skin ridges is
never duplicated in two persons, nevertheless, the similarities are
closer among some individuals.
 Francis Galton - a noted British anthropologist and a cousin of
scientist Charles Darwin began observation which led to the publication
in 1882 of his book “Fingerprints.” Galton’s studies established the
individuality of classifying fingerprint patterns.
 Dactyloscopy - identification of persons through examination and
comparison of fingerprint. Taken from Greek words: Dactylos – a finger
and skopien – to examine
 Focal points - The point of principal focus
Dactyl - comes from the Greek word daktylos which means finger