Hair in Forensics

What is one of the most common pieces of evidence found at a violent crime scene?

• human hair
• DNA
• blood
• weapon of some type

What is the tough outer layer of the hair shaft?

• cortex
• cuticle
• epidermis
• medulla

What part of the hair is examined to distinguish a human hair from an animal hair?

• cortex
• cuticle
• melanin
• medulla

Which of the following can be found on the cuticle?

• scales
• melanin
• cortical fusi
• Mitochondrial DNA

Which scale pattern is found in humans?

• imbricate
• coronal
• spinous
• fragmented

What are the irregularly shaped air spaces in the cortex called?

• cortical fusi
• lanugo
• follicular tag
• vellus

Which of the following types of medullas are NOT commonly found in human hair?

• continuous
• absent
• interrupted
• fragmented

To determine the medullary index, you would ______.

• measure the diameter of the medulla and divide it by the diameter of the hair
• measure the diameter of the hair and divide it by the diameter of the medulla
• measure the length of the medulla and divide it by the length of the hair
• measure the diameter of the medulla and divide it by the diameter of the cortex

What is the medullary index for a human hair?

• generally less than 1/3
• generally equal to 1/3
• generally more than 1/3
• generally greater than 1/2

Which of the following is NOT one of the hair shapes in cross-section?

• square
• round
• oval
• crescent moon