Fingerprints + Minutiae

Minutiae are the specific features of a fingerprint, such as ridge endings and bifurcations, that are used to identify and compare fingerprints.

An enclosure, also known as an 'eye', is a type of minutiae where a ridge bifurcates and then rejoins, forming a closed shape.

A bifurcation, or fork, is a minutiae where a single ridge splits into two separate ridges.

A delta is a point on a fingerprint where two ridges diverge, forming a triangular shape.

A ridge ending is a type of minutiae where a ridge terminates abruptly, which is crucial for fingerprint identification.

5% of the population has arches as their fingerprint pattern.

Loops are fingerprint patterns that enter from one side and exit the same side, while whorls are circular patterns that have two or more deltas.

An island, also known as a dot, is a small, isolated ridge that appears within a fingerprint.

Pores are small openings in the skin that can be found on ridges of fingerprints, often associated with sweat glands.

Ridge count is the number of ridges between the core and the delta in a fingerprint pattern, used for classification.