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FRICTION RIDGES OR PAPILLARY RIDGES
1. Friction ridge breath – The width of the friction
ridges varies in different areas as well in different
people. In general, they are narrower in females
and wider in males.
2. Ridge units and pores – Pore ducts open along
the top of the friction ridges. Each ridge unit has
one sweat gland and a pore opening randomly
somewhere on its surface. Eccrine gland contains
approximately 99% water and 1% solid.
3. Specific ridge path – The friction ridges have
been compared to corduroy, but unlike corduroy
they are not continuous in nature. The path taken
by the ridges may branch, start or stop, turn,
twist, or thicken and narrow independently .
4. Incipient friction ridges – Narrow and often
fragmented ridges may appear between normal
friction ridges. These are called incipient,
rudimentary, or nascent ridges. They differ from
the typical ridge by being thinner and fragmented.
5. Friction ridge imbrications – In some areas of
the volar surfaces, the friction ridges all tend to
lean on the same direction. Imbrications ridges
vary among individuals and even the regions of
volar areas where they are found.
6. Overall friction ridge pattern – The friction
ridges form patterns on the volar surface. The
most common are concentric, looping, or arching
formations. Friction ridges patterns also enhance
the ability of volar skin to resist slippage. The
pattern also enhances tactile sensitivity due to the
increased friction.
RIDGE CHARACTERISTICS
Identification of fingerprints relies on
pattern matching followed by the detection of
certain ridge characteristics, also known as
Galton details, points of identity, or minutial
points with a reference print, usually an inked
impression of a suspects print. The light
areas of fingerprints are called ridges while
the dark areas are called valleys.
BASIC AND COMPOSITE RIDGE CHARACTERISTICS (MINUTIAE)
A ridge ending is one end of a long island.
The island is long enough that the ends
are not easily recognized as being from
the same island.
A bifurcation is where the ridge path
divides forming a Y shape with legs having
the same length.
A ridge dot, one ridge unit, is the
shortest of all island and the
building block of the friction ridge.
An island in strict usage is the
ultimate abbreviation or ridge
structure, a unit bearing but one sweat
pore.
A lake (enclosure) is a bifurcation which
does not remain open but which the legs of
the bifurcation after running along side for
a short distance come together to form a
single ridge once more.
A spur is where the ridge path
divides and one branch comes to an
end (leg is shorter).
An incipient ridge is an unusual type of
ridge found in small percentage of patterns.
They are short, narrow and badly formed
ridges found between two well- formed and
full-bodied ridges which is frequently
interrupted.
incipient
ridge
A short ridge has two or more ridge
units with both ends easily recognized
as being from the same island.
A ridge bridge (cross) is a connecting
ridge between two ridges.
A trifurcation is a when two bifurcations
develop next to each other on the same
ridge, a unique formation.
An opposed bifurcation are
bifurcations found on both ends of
a ridge.
A ridge crossing is the point where
two ridges crosses each other forming
an “X” formation.
An overlap is where two ridges
ends meet and overlap on a bias.
