Ridge Characteristics Flashcards
The two
outermost
ridges which
tend to
surround the
pattern area. It is also the skeleton of each pattern.
Type Lines
The basic boundaries of most fingerprint patterns.
Type Lines
The area
surrounded by
the typelines.
Pattern area
The area of a
loop or whorl
which contains
the ridge details. It is the area inside the type lines and the only
part of a fingerprint which is of importance in
regard to interpretation and classification.
Pattern area
The area where
delta can be
found inside the
two diverging
ridges.
Point of divergence
It is two ridges running side by side and
suddenly separating, one ridge going one way
and the other ridge going another way.
Diverging Ridges
A ridge formation whose closed end is angular
and serves as a point of convergence, usually
pointed and abrupt forming a “V” shape.
Converging Ridges
The ridges that curve back from which it started
in the horizontal baseline.
Recurving ridges (looping ridges)
The two points where the looping ridge start
and ends its curve.
Shoulders of a loop
Located at the top or closed end of a
recurving ridge between the two shoulders.
Sufficient Recurve
Ridges which are thin, usually straight narrow
white lines running transversely, or formed side
to side, across the print, causing the puckering
of the ridges. They are caused mainly by minor surface
damaged, work and tear or advanced of age.
Crease
It is a linear depression in the skin. It is look like small white cracks.
Flexion creases
The heart of the pattern. The approximate center of the pattern.
Core (inner terminus)
Found at, in front and/or near the point of
divergence.
Delta (outer terminus & tri-radius)
A single ending ridge located inside the innermost
sufficient recurve in a loop pattern it appears inside the innermost sufficient recurve.
Rod/Bar/Spike
A single ridge which splits into two ridges, forming a “Y” shape structure. It is referred to
as a fork.
Bifurcating ridge (bifurcation)
It is a bifurcation where one
of the ridge path bifurcates.
Double bifurcation
It is a friction ridge that divides into three friction
ridges.
Trifurcating ridges ( trifurcation)
These are two bifurcations located at both ends of a
single ridge.
Opposed bifurcation
Bifurcations that appear in tandem or group.
Series bifurcation
It is the point where two ridges
crosses each other forming an “X” formation.
Ridge crossing
A bifurcation with one short ridge branching
off a longer ridge.
Spur/Hook ridge
A short ridge that spoils the sufficiency of a
recurve located at the top or summit of a
recurve usually at right angle.
Appendage/Abutment
It is a single recurving ridge on the center of the pattern area. It can be located along the
looping ridges.
Staple
A ridge of extremely short in length not more
than 3 millimeters
Fragment
A ridge that is insufficient or limited in length
other than the fragment.
Short ridge
A group of short ridges found inside a pattern
area. These ridges could appear also as broken
short ridges between well-formed ridges.
Series of short ridges
Any dot or point that can be observed inside a
fingerprint pattern.
Dot ridge
The group of dots as printed inside a pattern
area.
Series of dot ridges/Row of dots
An abrupt end of any ridge formation.
Ridge ending
The space or between two ridges that appears
to be continuous.
Ridge break
Refers to a formation of ridge that forms a
lake-like smaller in size than the enclosure.
Island/Lake
A bifurcation which does not remain open but
in the legs of the bifurcation, after running
alongside for a short distance, come together to
form a single ridge once more.
Enclosure
A single recurving ridge enclosing one or more
bars, short or dot ridge.
Envelope
A ridge that connects atleast two ridges. It must
have crossed and connected two ridges.
Crossover/Bridge ridge
An overlap is where two ridges ends meet and
overlap on a bias.
Overlap
A kind of ridge that appears curly, irregular in
appearance and growth ceases at several ends.
Puckering ridge
Ridges that were never counted because they
are only the result of dirt, blurred impressions, dirty fingerprint paraphernalia and other
factors, the short narrow and badly formed
ridges found between two well formed ridges.
Incipient ridges (Nascent ridges) /Rudimentary
Are usual ridge structure having a no well
defined pattern, the ridge are extremely short, they appear like series of patches caused by
disturbance during developmental process at
early fetal life of an individual
Dissociated ridges
A pattern in which the ridges
enter on one side of the pattern then
flow
toward the other side, with a rise at the center.
Plain Arch A
A fingerprint pattern where
majority of the ridges form an arch and one or more
ridges at the center shape a tent in outline giving an angle of 90 degrees or less or one with an upward
thrust having an angle of 45% or more, or a pattern
similar to a loop but lacking one or two of its essential
elements.
Tented arch T
A fingerprint pattern that has a
downward slope or slanting of the ridges towards the
direction of the thumb either to the right or left hand.
Radial loop R
The ridges in this pattern make a backward turn
arranging themselves in the form of a hairpin or staple.
Plain loop
The ridges of this pattern converge sharply to
give the pattern a possible whorl like appearance.
Converging loop
The ridges of this pattern conform to the
explanation of the plain loop but additionally the looping ridges
bent over and drops towards the delta.
Nutant loop
A fingerprint pattern consisting of
two deltas and in which at least one ridge makes a turn
through one complete circuit of 360 degrees.
Plain whorl W
A fingerprint pattern which possesses two
deltas, with one or more ridges forming a complete
circuit which may be oval, spiral, circular, or any
variant of a circle. Means, there are two patterns in one, a whorl inside
loop.
Central pocket loop whorl C
A fingerprint pattern consisting of two separate
and distinct loop formations with two sets of
shoulders, and two deltas.
Double Loop Whorl D
A fingerprint pattern
consisting of a combination of two different patterns. A combination of a loop and any whorl. But it cannot be the combination of an arch
with any other pattern.
Accidental Whorl X
It is a point on the ridge formation usually
located at the approximate center or heart of
the pattern.
Core (Inner Terminus)
It is the process of counting the ridges that touch
or cross an imaginary line drawn between the
core and the delta of a loop pattern.
Ridge counting
The process of tracing the ridges intervening
between the tracing ridge (flows from the left
delta to the right delta) and the right delta in a
whorl pattern.
Ridge tracing
Result is 3 or more ridge count
above or inside the right delta.
Inner Whorl (I)
Result is 3 or more ridge
count below or outside the right delta.
Outer whorl (O)
The ridge count is 0, 1, 2
either below or above the right delta.
Meeting whorl (M)
