Introduction

Skin is the most important and largest organ of the body from which the entire human body is covered. Different functions were performed by skin throughout the life of an individual such as it protects and safe guards the body from unpredictable weather conditions, balance or maintains the temperature and it also prevents skin from external injuries. The appearance and texture of the skin which entirely covers the palmer surface of hand and planter surface of foot is completely different from rest of the human body. According to Hawthorne, 2009 fingerprint is an impression or reproduction left on any surface by the friction skin of the fingers. Fingerprints are considered as the most versatile and frequently found evidence at the crime scene, they can easily be found in many type of criminal cases such as burglary, murder, theft, rape etc. It is considered as a very significant and valuable evidence as this can be used in the Personal Identification for determining the suspect’s identity, missing persons, victims of amnesia, mass disaster victims and insane persons etc. The elevated portion of the skin that left impression or reproduction is called friction ridges and furrows are the skin portion lower and between the ridges. Due to its permanency and uniqueness, fingerprints has highly individualistic nature, even twins do not have the same fingerprint pattern. Dermatoglyphics is the scientific study of friction ridges and their patterns produced on the palmer and the planter surfaces or the study of fingerprints that is done for the identification purpose is called as Dactylography. (Ranjan et al).The term Dermatooglyphics was first termed by Cummins and Midlo (1926) and William Herschel (1858) was the first who performed experiment with fingerprints for the Identification of an individual in India. This science is progressing and new methods are developing for recording, lifting under different field conditions in cases of deceased and living bodies (Sam et al 2015).Dr. Henry Faulds established the importance of fingerprints and an article was published in Nature 1880 and the first explainable study was performed by Sir Francis Galton in 1892 who is an English Anthropologist. The Galton’s detail was further improved and classified by Sir Edward Richard Henry, Inspector General of Police for practically applying in the field of identification in 1890s (Ranjan et al, 2015).

The formation of pattern of human friction ridges starts forming when the fetus is in the womb at about 8th week of gestation and completely formed at 17th week. Sweat gland ducts start coming out or project upwards from the bottom of the primary friction ridges at 14th week. The formation of primary ridge formation ceases after 19th week and the appearance of secondary ridges are in the form of folds present in between the primary ridges. Between all primary ridges secondary ridges starts forming by 24th week of pregnancy and the space was invaded by dermal papillae in the space between primary and secondary ridges, that forms double rows. With the development of friction ridges, perspiration glands form. Then fingerprints starts becoming visible on the skin surface and the ridge system geometry does not change anymore for lifetime (Siegel and Mirakovits, 2016).Fingerprints can be used as the purpose of personal Identification because of three principles,

1. Uniqueness of fingerprint

2. Permanency nature of fingerprints unless there is a damage to the skin dermal layer

3. Classification of fingerprint patterns. (James et al, 2014).