Forensic science
There is a lot of useful evidence that can be collected at a crime scene, such as biological evidence, fingerprints, trace evidence and digital evidence.
Forensic scientist at a crime scene
Trace evidence is small amounts of evidence that is transferable.
This includes hair, fibres, paint or glass fragments.
These can be analysed and compared to samples collected from suspects.
Fingerprints
Fingerprints are one type of evidence that can be collected from a crime scene.
There are 4 main types of fingerprint patterns: loop, whorl, arch and composite.
A composite fingerprint will be a mixture of the other three types.
Three types of fingerprint
Fingerprints are unique and can be used to identify an individual.
They can also be used as a security measure, for example accessing a mobile phone.