Fingerprint Study Guide

1. What are fingerprints?

Fingerprints are unique patterns seen on your fingers mainly friction ridges and
there are 3 types of fingerprints loop, arch, and whorl.

2. What are fingerprints used for?

Fingerprints are used for identifying a person, for example, finding a criminal they
use fingerprints, and also a long time ago fingerprints were used for signing.

3. What are the most important features of fingerprints?

The most important features of fingerprints is arches, loops, and whorls.

4. What is friction ridge skin and where is it located?

A friction ridge skin is a skin that is on the palms and fingers of the hand and soles
and toes of the feet. It is located in the fingers.

5. What are the parts of friction ridge skin?

The parts of a friction ridge skin a raised ridge and recessed furrows that are used for
gripping in objects

6. What are the three basic fingerprint patterns and their variations?
The three basic fingerprint patterns are arch, loop, and whorl.
Loop: radial loop, ulnar loop, double loop, central pocket loop
Arch: plain arch, tented arch.
Whorl: plain whorl, and accidental.

7. Which patterns contain features called the core and delta? What are these features?
The pattern that contains the core and delta is a Loop and whorl. The feature is friction
skin ridged.

8. What are minutiae? Give three examples.

A minutia is a point where a ridge forks or diverges into branch ridges. The three
examples are a short end, a bridge, and a dot.

9. What is anthropometry and who developed it? Why is it important to fingerprints?

Anthropometry is the study of the body. The person who developed it is Bertillon.
Fingerprints are important because they help forensic scientists identify the person
for crimes and more.

10. What is the name of the fingerprint classification system that the U.S. used for many
years?
The Henry Classification System is a method to classify fingerprints and exclude
potential candidates.

11. What is AFIS?

AFIS is an Automated Fingerprint Identification System.
12. What is fingerprint residue composed of and why?
Fingerprints residue is composed of oils and sweat from the skin because hands
and feet are free from sebaceous glands, and sebum is transferred onto fingertips
only after contact with other parts of the body

13. What are the two ways to locate latent prints before any developing process?
First way: Iodine Fuming (chemical) for porous surface
Second way: dusting techniques on a nonporous surface

14. For each visualization technique in the table below, describe the technique and identify the
type of surface that the technique could be used on two visualize latent fingerprints.
Technique Description Type of Surface Used On
It is a powder that they used to locate Nonporous surface: Metals,
Dusting the fingerprints with powder plastic, glass
First, they place the powder on top of
the fingerprint and dust it with a smooth
brush so that the fingerprints do not get
damaged
It is a chemical that they use for Porous surface: any surface that
Iodine Fuming fingerprint can absorb water or any liquids
Iodine crystals are added to the chamber for example shirts
which absolves fingerprints and then
they seal the chamber and add heat after
a few minutes the fingerprints appear
brown or yellow.
It's an organic chemical component that Porous surface: any surface that
Ninhydrin reveals hidden fingerprints on porous has hole that can absorb water
surfaces like paper, cardboard, and bare or any liquids for example shirts
wood.
Silver nitrate appears as a colorless or Porous surface: any surface that
Silver Nitrate white crystalline solid becoming black on has a hole that can absorb
exposure to light or organic material. water or any liquids for example
shirts and sponges.
A nonporous item that has the Porous surface: any surface that
Superglue Fuming fingerprint is placed in the chamber and has a hole that can absorb
added superglue on top of the water or any liquids for example
fingerprints and also aluminum is added shirts and sponges.
15.