REVIEW: Microscopes and Fingerprints

REVIEW: Microscopes and Fingerprints

Summary

Microscopes are an integral part of crime labs and forensic investigations. Whether they magnify by lenses, polarized light or even beams of electrons, all of the microscopes discussed in this module magnify objects and their characteristics for better scrutiny. Important clues can be gleaned from microscopic investigations that may either describe the surface or condition of an object or describe the origin of the item. Microscopes are used to evaluate nearly every type of physical evidence in some way making them necessary and versatile tools in the crime lab.

Types of Microscopes Interactivity

Review the different components of microscopes in the interactivity below.

Microscope Parts Self-Assessment Interactivity

See how well you know the parts of a microscope. Follow the directions below to practice your skills!

Review

Fingerprints are important pieces of Forensic evidence valued not only because of their abundance, but also for their unique qualities. Fingerprints are a type of individual evidence because each fingerprint links directly to an individual! No two people on Earth have the exact same pattern and ridge characteristics! The ridge characteristics, or Minutiae, are what make the fingerprint individual. These tiny differences in fingerprints can positively differentiate individuals when evaluated by an expert examiner. Fingerprints are digitally stored in a nationwide database known as IAFIS which allows law enforcement officials across the nation access to all known fingerprint records. IAFIS identifies close matches which can then be examined more closely by a fingerprint expert for identification. While modern computerized fingerprint recognition is not as quick and automated as seen on television, it is much quicker than in the past with an average search time of about 27 minutes. Fingerprinting may seem like a somewhat low-tech method to employ in modern forensic investigations, but it has withstood the test of time and continues to improve as technology improves!

Fingerprint Review Interactivity

 Georgia Virtual, Microscopes, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

 Georgia Virtual, Fingerprints, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

After you have completed this part of the lesson, you can check the associated box on the main course page to mark it as complete