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 Blank

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