What Are Fingerprints?

Looking at a glass cup you just had in your hands you notice you left a number of fingerprints on it.  You examine each closely and you find yourself fascinated by what you see.  But what are fingerprints exactly?  Let us talk about that.

A fingerprint is an impression on a surface left behind by friction ridges on the surface of a finger.  A friction ridge is a raised portion of the skin that is made out of a series of connected ridges.  Prints are left behind due to the natural sweat from the eccrine glands of the finger.  If you have ever been fingerprinted for government or work-related purposes, ink can also be used to create a fingerprint.

Looking at a glass cup you just had in your hands you notice you left a number of fingerprints on it.  You examine each closely and you find...