READ: Fingerprints
Introduction
Introduction
Fingerprints are very unique; the odds of having the exact same fingerprints as another person are about 1 in 10 billion on a planet with a population of roughly 7 billion people. Fingerprints are actually formed in the womb by the amniotic fluid swirling around the fingers of the fetus as they touch surrounding structures and are fully formed by the 17th week of pregnancy! Because of this fascinating and individual development process, fingerprints are very valuable evidence in a Forensic investigation. While identical twins may have the same DNA, they can always be differentiated by their fingerprints. A suspect may not see their fingerprints on a surface, but Forensic Investigators have several ways to make even the most elusive fingerprints reveal themselves!
Essential Questions
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Why are fingerprints unique to each individual?
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How are fingerprints classified and stored in AFIS?
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How are fingerprints collected and stored?
Module Minute
Fingerprints are so unique that the odds of having the exact same fingerprints as another person exceed the population of our planet. Because of this uniqueness, fingerprints are routinely collected at crime scenes and stored in local, state and national databases for comparison. As technology continues to improve, the digital collection and collation of fingerprint databases is growing. While fingerprints can't be immediately and exactly matched by a computer as they are in popular crime television shows, they can be grouped by similarities and presented as possible matches for a fingerprint specialist to sift through. Fingerprints are most commonly collected from crime scenes by dusting and lifting with adhesive tape. Latent prints can be visualized with a number of processes such as Iodine or Cyanoacrylate fuming, Ninhydrin or Silver Nitrate applications.
Georgia Virtual, Fingerprints, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0