Forensics - Hair and Fibers

Fibers are classified as either:

• natural fibers or synthetic fibers.

• polymers or synthetic fibers.

• acrylic fibers or plant fibers.

• olefins or synthetic fibers.

Natural fibers come from:

• animals.

• plants.

• minerals that are mined from the ground.

• All of these choices.

The deepest layer of hair (compared to the lead of a pencil) is the ___

• medulla
• cortex
• cuticle
• keratin 

The name for man-made fibers is:

• processed fibers
• synthetic fibers
• natural fibers
• modified fibers

Hair is helpful in solving old crimes because…

• hair on a suspect never changes
• hair always contains DNA evidence
• hair takes little room to store in evidence closets
• hair does not easily decompose

Check all of the following which make up the hair shaft.

• Cortex

• Medulla

• Root

• Follicle

• Cuticle

Hair is composed of a protein called...

• keratin

• medulla

• casein

• cellulose

The picture shows a __________ hair.

• human

• animal

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

• Fell out naturally
• Was forcibly removed

hair follicle

• the actively growing root or base of hair containing DNA and living cells

• material that connects an individual or thing to a certain group

• a type of fibrous protein that makes up the majority of the cortex of a hair

• the tough outer covering of a hair composed of overlapping scales