Question | Answer |
what is trace evidence? | Trace evidence is any small, physical matter that can be transferred from person to person or between a person and a crime scene. |
What are some exaples of trace evidence? | 1. hair 2. fibers 3. pieces of glass 4. chips of paint 5. dirt 6. plant material |
Why use hair? | Hair is small, easily shed, clingy, goes unnoticed, is hardy, and survives for a long period of time. |
What are the 3 parts of hair? | Cortex, Cuticle, Medulla |
What is the Cortex? | The cortex is the largest portion of the shaft giving you the hair color that you have(naturally) |
What is the Cuticle? | The cuticle is the layer of cells that cover the surface of the shaft and looks like scales on a fish or even roofing tiles. The scales overlap and always point up the shaft, away from the bulb. |
What is the Medulla? | The medulla is made up of cells that run down the center of the cortex like a canal. |
Name the three types of medullary index. | continuous, interrupted, and fragmented |
Name the three types of cuticle scales. | coronal, spinous, and imbricate |
What is the difference between a human and an animal medullary index? | Humans have a slightly smaller width of the medullary index measuring around 0.3, where as animals have a medullary index width of 0.5. |
What is the study of hair known as? | Trichology |
Which hairs provide the most features for comparison to other hairs? | scalp hair |