HAIR TEST REVIEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
The shaft is composed of what three layers? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Cuticle, Medulla + Cortex
The cortex contains granules. What are these granules and what do they determine? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅✅They give your hair color/pigment = melanin; the granules are melanin granules
The medullary index measures what? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Diameter of medulla / Diameter of
hair = Animal hair is ≥ .50
Human hair is ≤ .33
Continuous Medullary Index - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Straight Line
Interrupted Medullary Index - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Evenly Spaced
Fragmented Medullary Index - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Not Evenly Spaced
Solid - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Filled In
Absent - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Nothing in between
What is the main purpose for examining a hair found at the crime scene? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅✅You can eliminate suspects, can't prove someone did the crime. CLASS EVIDENCE!
Can you distinguish a hair that has been bleached or dyed from a natural hair? How? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅✅Bleach = no pigment/absence of color
Dye = filled in {as if it's painted}
Natural = has pigment
Cuticle + Cortex take the color of the dye
, What is the approximate growth rate for hair? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅1.3 cm per month
Is it possible to determine if a body hair was forcibly removed from the body? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅✅YES, they have to look at the torn looking end
DNA can be extracted from hair so why is hair found at a crime scene not normally used for DNA typing?
- CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅If you don't have root there is no nuclear DNA; mtDNA = only links
mother's genetics, only used to exclude people + not consistent; only provides CLASS EVIDENCE
List the features which are examined when observing a hair under a microscope. - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅✅Medulla, Coretx + Cuticle
Where would an investigator look for control hairs in a missing person's case? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅✅Have to have something to compare it to, not all hairs are identical. 50 hairs can be
taken
{TRUE OR FALSE}
1. The shaft of the hair is considered class evidence in a trial
2. Hair is composed mostly of a protein called cellulose
3. All hairs on the head of a person are identical
4. Hair can provide clues about someone's ancestry - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅1. T
2. F, keratin
3. F
4. T
Hair can used to determine.... - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Diet, Drug Habits + Geographic History
Which factors are used to calculate the medullary index of the hair? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Width
of medulla over width of hair
The shaft is composed of what three layers? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Cuticle, Medulla + Cortex
The cortex contains granules. What are these granules and what do they determine? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅✅They give your hair color/pigment = melanin; the granules are melanin granules
The medullary index measures what? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Diameter of medulla / Diameter of
hair = Animal hair is ≥ .50
Human hair is ≤ .33
Continuous Medullary Index - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Straight Line
Interrupted Medullary Index - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Evenly Spaced
Fragmented Medullary Index - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Not Evenly Spaced
Solid - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Filled In
Absent - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Nothing in between
What is the main purpose for examining a hair found at the crime scene? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅✅You can eliminate suspects, can't prove someone did the crime. CLASS EVIDENCE!
Can you distinguish a hair that has been bleached or dyed from a natural hair? How? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅✅Bleach = no pigment/absence of color
Dye = filled in {as if it's painted}
Natural = has pigment
Cuticle + Cortex take the color of the dye
, What is the approximate growth rate for hair? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅1.3 cm per month
Is it possible to determine if a body hair was forcibly removed from the body? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅✅YES, they have to look at the torn looking end
DNA can be extracted from hair so why is hair found at a crime scene not normally used for DNA typing?
- CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅If you don't have root there is no nuclear DNA; mtDNA = only links
mother's genetics, only used to exclude people + not consistent; only provides CLASS EVIDENCE
List the features which are examined when observing a hair under a microscope. - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅✅Medulla, Coretx + Cuticle
Where would an investigator look for control hairs in a missing person's case? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅✅Have to have something to compare it to, not all hairs are identical. 50 hairs can be
taken
{TRUE OR FALSE}
1. The shaft of the hair is considered class evidence in a trial
2. Hair is composed mostly of a protein called cellulose
3. All hairs on the head of a person are identical
4. Hair can provide clues about someone's ancestry - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅1. T
2. F, keratin
3. F
4. T
Hair can used to determine.... - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Diet, Drug Habits + Geographic History
Which factors are used to calculate the medullary index of the hair? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Width
of medulla over width of hair
