Fingerprints

Fingerprints are the tiny ridges, whorls, and valley patterns on the tip of each finger. They form from pressure on a baby’s tiny, developing fingers in the womb. Fingerprints are made of an arrangement of ridges, called friction ridges.

A person’s fingerprints are set for life by around the 19th week of gestation. The fetus’s fingerprints and footprints are fully developed. The ridges on a fetus’s fingertips have formed three main patterns. They are categorized as arches, loops, and whorls, with numerous patterns in between.

The science of fingerprint identification stands out among all other forensic sciences.

Fingerprints offer a reliable means of personal identification.