Fingerprints as forensic tools

Krishna: One of my closest friends is a forensic scientist. She deals with DNA fingerprinting, not ordinary fingerprinting.

DNA fingerprinting is a laboratory technique that identifies a person based on their DNA. It's used in criminal investigations, paternity testing, and other forensic purposes.

This is how my friend deals with it ….

1. DNA is extracted from a sample like blood, saliva, or hair
2. Enzymes cut the DNA into fragments
3. The fragments are separated by size
4. A radioactive probe identifies shared motifs in the fragments
5. The results are captured on X-ray film as pattern of stripes.

Image source: Britannica

DNA fingerprinting is usually used in

Criminal investigations: DNA from a crime scene can be compared to DNA from a suspect

Paternity testing: DNA from a parent can be compared to DNA from a child

Identifying skeletal remains: DNA from skeletal remains can help identify the deceased

Okay, now let us deal with ordinary fingerprinting.

Image source: Google

The scientific study of fingerprints is called dermatoglyphics or dactylography. Dactyloscopy is another term for the science of identifying fingerprints.

Related sciences:

Forensic science: Fingerprint identification is an important part of forensic science and policing. Forensic science can be defined as the application of scientific methods to criminal cases. In particular, forensic science deals with the analysis of evidence in criminal cases.

Criminology: Fingerprints are used to identify criminals and solve crimes.

Other related things ….

Dactylography: The process of taking impressions of the ridges on fingertips to identify a person.

Dermatoglyphics: The study of the patterns of ridges on the fingers, palms, and soles.

Dactyloscopy: The analysis and classification of patterns in fingerprints.

Detailed explanation of the sciences related to fingerprinting include dactyloscopy, biometrics, chemistry, spectroscopy, nanotechnology, and chromatography.

Dactyloscopy

The science of identifying people through their fingerprints

Also known as dactylography, this process involves taking impressions of the ridges on the fingertips

The study of the epidermal ridge patterns on fingers, palms, and soles

Biometrics

A science that uses people's physical or biological characteristics to identify them

Fingerprints are a form of biometrics

Chemistry

The use of mass spectrometry, optical spectroscopy, and other techniques to analyze fingerprints

The use of nitrine to detect latent fingerprints

Nanotechnology

The use of nanoparticles and antibodies to visualize latent fingerprints

Chromatography

The use of chromatographic techniques to produce reliable fingerprints for food characterization and authentication

Microbiology

The population of bacteria on a person's skin leaves traces on the clothes they wear—and how these traces last for months and can be used to uniquely identify the wearer. So microbial fingerprints are also important in identifying a criminal. ( 4th link below)

Other related sciences Dermatoglyphics ( the scientific study of the ridges and patterns on the skin, particularly on the hands and feet. It's also known as fingerprint analysis or dactylography) and Forensic science explained above.

For more information on fingerprints you can click on these links and read my articles on them:

How fingerprints get their unique whorls

AI discovery: Not every fingerprint is unique!

Debate between scientists and people who practice and propagate pse...

Forensic science: How Microbial fingerprints can help solve a crime