Q 01/05

What are the three basic fingerprint patterns in the Henry system?

A) Circle, line and cross

B) Spiral, wave and ring

C) Loop, whorl and arch

D) Ridge, valley and pore

Answer · why

C) Loop, whorl and arch

Loop, whorl and arch gave police a way to sort every set of prints into classes, so a clerk could track down one person's card among thousands without...

Q 02/05

A fingerprint left at the scene was one of the only clues when which Louvre painting was stolen in 1911?

A) The Raft of the Medusa

B) Mona Lisa

C) Liberty Leading the People

D) The Wedding at Cana

Answer · why

B) Mona Lisa

Mona Lisa stayed missing for more than two years despite that print. The thief, a former Louvre workman, was caught only when he offered the painting ...

Q 03/05

A loop that starts on the little-finger side of the finger is called what?

A) Ulnar

B) Radial

C) Lateral

D) Tented

Answer · why

A) Ulnar

Ulnar loops are named for the ulna, the forearm bone that runs down the little-finger side of the arm. They are also the most common fingerprint patte...

Q 04/05

Why do identical twins have different fingerprints despite sharing the same DNA?

A) Each copies a different parent's prints

B) Early childhood wear reshapes the skin

C) Each grew differently in the womb

D) Their patterns drift with age

Answer · why

C) Each grew differently in the womb

Each grew differently in the womb: tiny differences in pressure and timing while the skin forms shape every fingertip separately, which is why even on...

Q 05/05

What is the name for the raised skin that leaves a fingerprint?

A) Friction ridges

B) Sweat crests

C) Tactile folds

D) Dermal papillae

Answer · why

A) Friction ridges

Friction ridges also sharpen the sense of touch: as a fingertip strokes a surface they amplify the tiny vibrations, helping nerves deep in the skin to...