Deck 6: The Nature of Latent Prints

Question 1

What are latent prints?

Answer 1

a. Invisible friction ridge impressions
b. Friction ridge impressions of unknown origin

Question 2

How are latent prints recovered from items of evidence or from surfaces at a crime scene?

Answer 2

Using powders and chemical reagents

Question 3

patent prints are those left in a soft material such as clay, glue, wax, soap or tacky paint.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Give two examples of patent prints.

Question 5

What is the job of a latent print examiner?

Question 6

How are latent fingerprints left on a surface?

Question 7

What are the three types of sweat glands in the human body, and where they found?

Question 8

Eccrine sweat is 90% water.

Question 9

Name ten components of eccrine sweat other than water.

Question 10

Most fingerprint reagents react with which components of eccrine sweat?

Question 11

What is the definition of a porous substrate? What is the definition of a nonporous substrate? Give two examples of each.

Question 12

Are rough or highly textured surfaces conducive to latent fingerprint development? Why, or why not?

Question 13

Why are fingerprints on nonporous substrates fragile?

Question 14

it is possible to determine the age of a latent fingerprint.

Question 15

What are the factors that contribute to how long a latent print will persist on a surface?

Question 16

Name three features of a substrate that may have an impact on the persistence of latent prints.

Question 17

Is it possible to obtain DNA evidence from items that have been touched? Why, or why not?

Question 18

In what circumstances is it appropriate to sample touch DNA from a surface?

Question 19

How is contamination avoided when collecting touch DNA samples?

Question 20

the majority of laboratories analyze touch DNA.