Fingerprints

The first time fingerprint identification was used in the early 1900s in London. The fingerprint section of Scotland yard was set up by Sir Edward Henry. In 1902 Harry jackson became the first person to be convicted in Britain on fingerprint evidence. He was a burgular and left his fingerprint in wet paint at the scene of crime. Theese prints were patent prints.
There are different types of prints that can be found at a crime scene latent prints which are difficult to find and almost impossible to see. Also there are patent prints which are easy to see because they are left in substances such as dirt, paint or blood.
Each fingerprint has minutiae which are the small unique details of the fingerprint. A list of the minutiae in a fingerprint; ending ridge, island, dot, crease, short ridge and bifurcation which is the most common one looked for.
A fingerprint is made of ridge lines which form to make a special pattern. There are seven different types of pattern. The main three are arch, loop and whorl. Also there are tented arch, central pocket loop, double loop whorl and the accidental.

The arch:

The ridge lines flow across the finger and rise or wave in the center of the finger tip.

The tented arch:

Like the arch but rises sharply in the center.

The loop:

The ridges flow from one side of the finger curve into the middle of the finger curves round and exits the same side.

The central pocket loop:

Like the loop but has a circle in the center of the finger.

The whorl:

The ridges flow into a circle pattern.

The double loop whorl:

Two loops coming from opposite sides of the finger and meeting in the center.

The accidental:

A fingerprint that consists of a combination of two different fingerprint pattern types.

Fingerprints never change theygrow as we do. They grow back if the finger has been burned or scarred. Fingerprints are left because our bodies release water and oils through our skin. On some surfaces such glass prints show up easily.