FIS 201 – Exam 3 Study Guide (WVU)
Explain how skin produces fingerprints - ANS✔✔ Friction ridges: Volar pads that start forming at
4 months and are consistent throughout life
Impressions: Spreads along ridge surface and sticks to substrate when pressed
Explain how exemplars are collected - ANS✔✔ Voluntary submission or taken at booking by
livescan or rolled ink
Identify common locations to use the dusting method - ANS✔✔ 1. Door frames and handles
2. Windows
3. Furniture
4. Appliances
Three types of prints - ANS✔✔ 1. Patent
2. Latent
3. Impression/Plastic
Latent prints - ANS✔✔ Must be developed with chemicals or light and cannot be seen with the
naked eye. Any substrate
Identify which development method should be used for a given situation - ANS✔✔ Ninhydrin:
Porous substrates, forms "Ruhumann's Purple, works in blood
Cyanoacrylate Fuming: Nonporous substrates, binds to fats in water, forms protective layer over
ridges, works for fragile prints
Textured surfaces - ANS✔✔ Dust first and lift with a squishy material
, 1. Mikrosil/Polyvinylsiloxane
2. Diff-Lift: thick squashy tape
Blood prints - ANS✔✔ 1. Leucrystal violet: reacts with hemoglobin, works on porous and
nonporous substrates
2. Protein reactive/nonporous surfaces: Amido Black, Coomassie Blue, Hungarian Red
Identify the component of fingerprints that different development materials adhere to -
ANS✔✔ Body oils and lipids
Steps of lifting a print - ANS✔✔ 1. Photograph
2. Press the lifting tape across the print
3. Smooth the tape flat
4. Lift off the print
5. Press it over the lift card
Identify the historical features associated with human identification - ANS✔✔
Three fingerprint patterns - ANS✔✔ 1. Arch
2. Loop
3. Whorl
Arches - ANS✔✔ Ridges enter on one side of print and exit on the other. No deltas are present
*tented arches: have a spike in the center*
Loops - ANS✔✔ One or more ridges that enter and leave on the same side. One delta present
Explain how skin produces fingerprints - ANS✔✔ Friction ridges: Volar pads that start forming at
4 months and are consistent throughout life
Impressions: Spreads along ridge surface and sticks to substrate when pressed
Explain how exemplars are collected - ANS✔✔ Voluntary submission or taken at booking by
livescan or rolled ink
Identify common locations to use the dusting method - ANS✔✔ 1. Door frames and handles
2. Windows
3. Furniture
4. Appliances
Three types of prints - ANS✔✔ 1. Patent
2. Latent
3. Impression/Plastic
Latent prints - ANS✔✔ Must be developed with chemicals or light and cannot be seen with the
naked eye. Any substrate
Identify which development method should be used for a given situation - ANS✔✔ Ninhydrin:
Porous substrates, forms "Ruhumann's Purple, works in blood
Cyanoacrylate Fuming: Nonporous substrates, binds to fats in water, forms protective layer over
ridges, works for fragile prints
Textured surfaces - ANS✔✔ Dust first and lift with a squishy material
, 1. Mikrosil/Polyvinylsiloxane
2. Diff-Lift: thick squashy tape
Blood prints - ANS✔✔ 1. Leucrystal violet: reacts with hemoglobin, works on porous and
nonporous substrates
2. Protein reactive/nonporous surfaces: Amido Black, Coomassie Blue, Hungarian Red
Identify the component of fingerprints that different development materials adhere to -
ANS✔✔ Body oils and lipids
Steps of lifting a print - ANS✔✔ 1. Photograph
2. Press the lifting tape across the print
3. Smooth the tape flat
4. Lift off the print
5. Press it over the lift card
Identify the historical features associated with human identification - ANS✔✔
Three fingerprint patterns - ANS✔✔ 1. Arch
2. Loop
3. Whorl
Arches - ANS✔✔ Ridges enter on one side of print and exit on the other. No deltas are present
*tented arches: have a spike in the center*
Loops - ANS✔✔ One or more ridges that enter and leave on the same side. One delta present
