Forensics Cheat Sheet The Scientific Method 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Hair Hair is an appendage of the skin that grows out of the hair follicle Root is the portion that lies in the follicle and the shaft is above the surface of the skin Hair is composed of proteins called keratins that form fibrils. Keratin is extremely resistant to any kind of degradation Toxins expelled by the body can be found in hair A muscle is located near the hair follicle that can make it stand up straight and a nerve connects every follicle to the brain. A sebaceous gland in the follicle produces sebum, an oil essential for normal hair and skin Hair consists of the cuticle (outside), cortex (middle), medulla (inner part) Cuticle protects inner layers of skin, made of overlapping scales (pointing away from root) Medulla of hair is made of cells that run through the center of the cortex In humans, the medulla is very small. It can be interrupted, fragmented or absent Medullary index of hair: fraction of the diameter of the medulla Hair covers all parts of the body except the soles of the feet, palms, mucous membranes and lips Lifespan of a human year is about 3-7 years Pigments in hair give it its colour. As we age, hair receives fewer pigments and hair turns grey Trichology is the study of the structure, functions, and diseases of the hair Increased hair growth is called: hirsutism. Hair loss is called: alopecia Steroids make hair fall out Hair does not contain DNA so forensic examiners cant tell who it belonged to (if the hair root has tissue, though, it can be) Identify the problem Observe/research Hypothesise Test/collect data Analyse Conclude

Characteristics for Comparing Handwriting 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Line quality: do letters flow (cursive) or are letters written with intent stokes (printed)? Spacing of words and letters: average, small or large spacing between words and letters? Ratio of height, width, and size of letters Lifting of pen: does the author lift his pen after ever letter? Connecting stokes: how are capital letters connected to the rest of the word? Strokes at beginning and end: where do letters begin and end on a page?

7. Unusual letter formation: are any letters written with unusual slants or angels? Are some printed and others written in cursive? 8. Pen pressure: Light, medium, or hard? 9. Slant: in which direction do the letters slant? 10. Baseline habits: does the author write on the line? Or above or below the line? 11. Fancy writing habits: are there any unusual curls or loops on letters? 12. Placement of diacritics: are the ts crossed and the is dotted? If so, how? Other things to remember: Crime labs consist of the physical science, biology, firearms, and photography units Forensic scientists are responsible for the collection and analysis of physical evidence from a crime scene When arriving at a crime scene, the first thing to do is preserve and isolate the scene. Then, investigators should record the crime scene (take pictures).Lastly; all physical evidence should be placed in a separate container and taken to the lab for further investigation. Notes should be taken about a crime scene and a sketch should be made Age, race, and gender are usually the most important factors of remembering a suspect. Use of drugs, or other witnesses both have an effect on how accurately the suspect is remembered