Forensics Hair and Fibers

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

• medulla

• cortex

• cuticle

• keratin 

Which layer of hair is the most helpful component when determining what type of animal the hair came from?

• medulla

• cortex

• cuticle

Where is Nuclear DNA found in the hair?

• root/follicle

• hair shaft

• tip

• medulla

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

A young child is kidnapped from her school playground. Shown below is a reference sample of the kidnapped child's hair. The only cars that left the parking lot before the child was discovered to be missing were those of four cafeteria workers. The car of each worker was searched below. Which recovered hair, if any, is consistent with that of the victim and warrants further investigation?

• Worker A

• Worker B

• Worker C

• Worker D

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

Hair analysis may be used to determine all of the following except:

• manner in which the hair was removed

• body region from which the hair came from

• broad racial background of the individual from which the hair came from

• identity of the individual from which the hair came from

True or false? The hair below most likely comes from a human

• true

• false

What cuticle type is in the picture?

• Coronal

• Imbricate

• Spinous

What does a damaged hair root tell investigators?

• The hair was forcefully removed.

• The suspect was attacked.

• There was a struggle.

• The hair fell out of the person's head.