Hair Evidence Notes

Open Ended

Why is the study of trace evidence, such as hair, significant in forensic science?

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT a location where hair is typically found on the human body?

• Head

• Face

• Chest

• Palms

Multiple Choice

What is the main protein that makes up most of the hair shaft?

• Keratin

• Melanin

• Collagen

• Elastin

Multiple Select

Which of the following are components of the hair structure?

• Cortex

• Medulla

• Cuticle

• Follicle

Labelling

Label the parts of a hair shaft

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

medulla

cortex

cuticle

Multiple Select

Which of the following are characteristics used to describe pigment in hair?

• Color

• Granual Size

• Density

• Distribution

Multiple Choice

What type of pigment distribution is commonly found in animal hair?

• One-sided

• Peripheral

• Random

• Central

Multiple Choice

Which stage of hair root growth is characterized by a ribbon-like tip and a follicular tag?

• Anagen root

• Catagen root

• Telogen root

• Postmortem root

Multiple Choice

A hair sample is found with a bulb-like shape and very little pigment. Which growth stage is it most likely in?

• Anagen

• Catagen

• Telogen

• Postmortem

Open Ended

Describe the differences between anagen, catagen, and telogen hair roots based on their appearance and growth stage.

Multiple Select

Which of the following statements about postmortem root band is/are correct?

• It is a dark band near the root of hair from a decomposing body.

• It is found in the anagen stage of hair growth.

• It is also known as 'Dead man's root'.

• It is always present in all hair samples.

Open Ended

Explain how hair characteristics can be used to infer racial origin in forensic investigations.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following hair characteristics can be compared in the forensics lab to determine racial origin?

• Shaft diameter

• Hair length

• Hair color only

• Hair growth rate

Multiple Select

Which features are typical of Caucasoid hair as seen in forensic analysis?

• Moderate shaft diameter with little variation

• Heavy pigment density with clumping

• Oval-shaped cross-section

• Thick cuticle

Multiple Choice

What is a distinguishing feature of Mongoloid hair compared to Caucasoid hair?

• Round cross-section

• Light pigment density

• Fine shaft diameter

• Considerable variation in shaft

Multiple Choice

Which racial origin is most likely if a hair sample has a coarse shaft diameter, thick cuticle, and round cross-section?

• Mongoloid

• Caucasoid

• Negroid

• Australoid

Multiple Choice

How can you tell a human hair follicle from an animal hair follicle?

• By the cortex and the type of cuticle

• By the medulla index and the type of medulla

• By the medulla index and the type of cuticle

• By the type of cuticle and the color

Multiple Choice

Which describes a human hair from an animal hair?

• Human hair has a thick medulla and a spinous cuticle

• Human hair has a thin medulla and a imbricate cuticle

• Human hair has a thick medulla and a coronal cuticle

• Human hair has a thin medulla and no cuticle

Multiple Choice

Which hair is human hair?

Open Ended

Explain why hair is considered class evidence in forensic investigations.