There are thousands of people in the world, some of which are very similar to each other. Although many people are similar, there is one characteristic that always changes from individual to individual: The fingerprint.
THE fingerprint it is found on the tips of our fingers and refers to those patterns formed by small bumps in the skin, called papillae. These elevations form unique patterns., so unique that they are not repeated on other fingers or identical twins. This is due to the fact that the formation of fingerprints is also influenced by the environment that surrounds us, and not just by the DNA.
Note the elevations in the skin of the fingers
Due to this exclusivity of fingerprints, they are placed in some identification documents, such as RG and work card. Fingerprinting is also being used as a form of identification in banks and even for voting. In many places in Brazil, biometric identification is already used as a way to prevent fraud and make voting safer.
Fingerprints are also used to identify people who commit crimes. When touching somewhere, we eventually leave our fingerprints. Because these brands are unique, it's easy to find out who's to blame. Police simply scan the fingerprints and compare them with their extensive database. (See how Science can unravel crimesclicking here!)
The professional responsible for identifying a fingerprint is the papilloscopist. It is he who analyzes and compares the available fingerprints, thus identifying the owner of each one of them. Although it seems simple, the papilloscopist must be very attentive to be able to observe the microscopic differences that exist between one impression and another.
It is worth noting that the role of the papilloscopist is even more difficult in some cases. Some people use chemicals that can cause these designs to be lost. In addition, burns, cuts and some illnesses can cause changes in fingerprints, thus hindering the work of these professionals.
Did you know that zebras also have a unique form of identification? That's right, no zebra is like another and this is thanks to the presence of your stripes, which have a unique pattern in each one.
By Ma. Vanessa dos Santos
