Fingerprint

A fingerprint is the pattern of ridges and furrows on a fingertip. Its broad features form before birth and usually remain stable throughout life, while cuts and wear can alter details.

Friction ridge: A raised ridge on the skin of the fingers, palms, toes, and soles. Fingerprints are made from the distinctive arrangement of these ridges.
Latent fingerprint: A usually invisible fingerprint deposited on a surface through contact. Sweat and oils can transfer ridge details without leaving a visible mark.
Fingerprint recognition: The identification or verification of a person by comparing fingerprint data. It applies distinctive ridge patterns to identity decisions.
DNA profiling: The analysis of genetic markers to associate biological material with individuals or biological relatives. It identifies biological traces through genetic variation rather than ridge patterns.
Fingerprint evidence in United States courts: The use and legal evaluation of fingerprint comparisons as evidence in U.S. courts. Court scrutiny addresses how fingerprint conclusions are presented and limited.
Fingerprint minutiae: Local ridge features such as endings, bifurcations, and short ridges. These small features help distinguish one impression from another.
Fingerprint powder: A fine particulate material used to make latent fingerprints visible on surfaces. Powder adheres to residue in a deposited ridge pattern.
Fingerprinting (forensics): The collection and examination of friction ridge impressions in forensic investigations. Investigators recover impressions from objects and compare them with known records.
Palmprint: An impression of the friction ridge skin on the palm of a hand. Palmprints use related ridge features but come from a different body surface.
Fingerprint examiner: A specialist who analyzes friction ridge impressions and compares them with known prints. Human judgment remains central to many forensic fingerprint conclusions.

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