Hair as Evidence Notes

Hair as Evidence

Forensic Science​

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Multiple Choice

How many approximate hair follicles on a human head are there?

• 100,000

• 1 million

• 60,000

• 1000

Multiple Choice

Humans lose approximately how many hair per day?

• 100

• 1000

• 50

• 5

Multiple Choice

Hair is what type of evidence?

• Class

• Individual

• unknown

• all of the above

Multiple Choice

DNA is never present on hair

• False

• True

Multiple Choice

Nuclear DNA can be identified from:

• the hair root or follicle

• the hair shaft

• both the hair root and the hair shaft

• neither the hair root and the hair shaft

Multiple Choice

The cuticle of the hair is best defined as:

• outside covering, made of overlapping scales

• inner layer made of keratin and embedded with pigment; also contains air sacs called cortical fusi

• inside layer running down the center of the cortex

• the root of the hair that contains DNA

Fill in the Blanks

The

can be used to analyze the layer of the hair shaft.

Multiple Choice

What medullary pattern is represented in the diagram?

• Fragmented

• interupted

• continuous

• not visible

Multiple Choice

Generally, a human hair can be distinguished from an animal hair by examining:

• the medulla

• the texture

• the cortex

• the color

Multiple Choice

What are the three layers of hair?

• Medulla, keratin, cortex

• Cuticle, medulla, keratin

• Keratin, cuticle, cortex

• Medulla, Cortex, and Cuticle

Multiple Choice

Using the pencil analogy, which structure corresponds to the wood?

• Follicle
• Cortex
• Cuticle
• Medulla

Multiple Choice

Using the pencil analogy, which structure corresponds to the lead?

• Follicle
• Cortex
• Cuticle
• Medulla

Multiple Choice

Using the pencil analogy, which structure corresponds to the paint on the surface?

• Follicle
• Cortex
• Cuticle
• Medulla

Multiple Choice

We know hair is from a human if…

• The medullary index is 0.5 or greater           
• The medullary index is 0.33 or less
• The cuticle is coronal
• The medulla is fragmented

Multiple Choice

Human hair can be characterized by having a medulla that is:

• less than 1/3 of the hair diameter

• greater than 1/2 of the hair diameter

• absent of a scale pattern

• colorless

Multiple Choice

Hair is composed mostly of the protein

• lignin
• collagen
• keratin
• cellulose

Multiple Choice

In order for hair to be considered individual evidence it must contain

• a complete medulla
• cells in its cortex
• nuclei in the cuticle
• a follicle

Multiple Choice

When processing hair found at a crime scene, we must determine if the origin is:

• human or animal

• human or reptile

• reptile or mammal

• human or alien

Multiple Choice

Can we tell if a hair was forcibly removed?

• Yes

• no

Multiple Choice

Did this hair fall out naturally, or was it forcibly removed?

• Fell out naturally
• Was forcibly removed

Multiple Choice

The transfer of evidence such as a fiber from a source to a person, then to another person or object, is called

• primary transfer
• secondary transfer
• tertiary transfer
• direct transfer

Multiple Choice

The central core of the hair is called the...?

• Medulla
• Cuticle
• Cortex
• Shaft