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What is a Fingerprint?
Home » Law Enforcement » Fingerprints » What is a Fingerprint?Fingerprint ridges are formed during the third or fourth month of fetal development. After birth, an infant's fingerprints continue to grow, much like a balloon inflates, but the unique formation never changes. A fingerprint occurs when an impression made by ink or contaminates is transferred from the peaks of friction skin ridges to a smooth surface. These ridges of skin are sometimes referred to as "dermal ridges" or "dermal papillae". The term fingerprint is usually used to refer to the impression transferred from the pad on the last joint of the fingers and thumbs. Humans are not the only ones to have fingerprints. Some species of primates also have skin ridges on their fingers and paws. There are even some forms of monkeys that have ridge skin on their tails, which may be used for gripping while climbing. Fingerprints have been studied for more than 100 years, and in that time, no two sets have been found to have the same ridge characteristics. Because of this, fingerprinting has become a source of identification. This process is referred to as dactyloscopy and is done by comparing the ridges from fingers, palms, and toes with impressions from the same fingers, palms, and toes. A match is made when an expert (or an expert computer operating under threshold scoring rules) determines that two friction ridge impressions came from the same finger to the exclusion of all others.
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