J Forensic Sci. 2001 Jan;46(1):15-20.

Postmortem microscopic changes observed at the human head hair

proximal end.
Linch CA1, Prahlow JA.
Author information
Abstract
Only two types of human hair roots (proximal ends) derived from decomposing scalps are reported in
the literature. The most common representation of the putrid root includes a postmortem dark root
band in published photomicrographs. In this study, 22 cases were reviewed in which there was
reliable time of death documentation from medical investigator reports. A review of these cases finds
that the most common putrid hair proximal end change does not contain the postmortem root band.
Four primary types of hair proximal end postmortem change were identified. This study finds no
correlation of time of death with scalp hair proximal end decomposition. In addition two examples are
presented that suggest that hair roots do not decompose after fresh removal from the scalp and
exposure to the outside elements.

Pubic hairs were collected from 27 volunteers employed in the Department of Forensic Biology at the Office
of Chief Medical Examiner in New York City. Written instructions were provided for collecting and
transferring the hairs, with each subject providing a minimum of 50 pubic hairs collected in a manner that
maximized the number of anagenic/catagenic hairs in the standard sets. Procedures for analyzing the
sample sets by the two methods of analysis are described. The study found that the two independent
systems of hair analysis have their unique role in forensic hair analysis. Independently, both systems were
successful in identifying/individualizing unknown hairs. The microscopic hair analysis was more successful
than the DNA analysis due to the presence of a large number of microscopic minutiae within a hair and the
experience of the examiner. STR DNA was less successful than microscopic analysis due to the lack of
sufficient quantities of DNA in some of the hair roots. Microscopy might be used to narrow the scope of the
investigation, followed by DNA analysis to individualize the separated hairs. 1 table and 7 references

The first step necessary in the analytical process, after hair evidence is recovered is the identification and
comparison of human and animal hairs. The ability to analyze and interpret hair characteristics is a skill
gained by training and testing. Examiners must study hair samples from different racial groups and body
areas and take hair-matching samples tests to demonstrate the ability to correctly associate hairs with a
particular source. This report is a revision of the 1977 Microscopy of Hairs: A Practical Guide and Manual. It
is a guide and manual for examiners on hair evidence through various methods, specifically the traditional
comparison microscope method (microscopic characteristics found in hair) and the new nuclear and
mitochondrial DNA (M+DNA) method. The manual begins with a review of the hairs basic structure and
continues with comprehensive information on hair identification, methods of hair recovery, scale carts,
sampling methods, glass microscope slide preparation, and human hair identification. Figures, glossary
and references

Correlation of Microscopic and Mitochondrial DNA Hair Comparisons

The microscopic comparison of morphological characteristics of human hairs has been accepted both
scientifically and legally for decades. The advent of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequencing provides an
additional test in the repertoire for assessing source association between a questioned hair and an

individual. Neither the microscopic nor molecular analysis alone, or together, achieves absolute positive
identification; however, these methods together can provide complementary examinations. Mitochondrial
DNA typing, for example, can often distinguish between hairs from different sources although they have
similar morphological characteristics. In contrast, hair morphology comparisons can often distinguish
between samples from different individuals who are maternally related when mtDNA analysis is
uninformative. The current study examined human hairs submitted to the FBI Laboratory for analysis
between 1996 and 2000. Of the 170 hair examinations, there were 80 microscopic associations; of these,
only 9 were excluded by mtDNA. Sixty-six hairs that were considered either unsuitable for microscopic
examinations or yielded inconclusive microscopic associations provided mtDNA results. Only six hairs did
not provide sufficient mtDNA, and only three yielded inconclusive results. Consistency was obtained in
exculpatory results with the two procedures. The study concluded that both the microscopic and molecular
analysis of hairs is useful in forensic investigations, because each relies on independent types of
information. The mtDNA sequences provide information about the genotype of microscopic examination
assesses physical characteristics of an individual's hair in his/her environment (phenotype). 4 tables and 17
references

Sex determinant pada rambut manusia melalui analisis dna dengan metode polymerase chain
reaction (pcr)

Abstrak Identifikasi korban maupun tersangka pada kasus-kasus kriminalitas seperti pembunuhan,
perkosaan dengan pembunuhan yang semakin hari semakin meningkat pula kuantitas maupun
kualitasnya, semakin mengukuhkan eksistensi kedokteran forensik. Barang Faktor lingkungan
tersebur mempengaruhi DNA mengalami degradasi atau degraded DNA. Degradasi ini bisa cepat
atau lambat, hal tersebut tergantung factor yang mempengaruhi dan waktu terjadinya paparan.
Kerusakan DNA daibagi menjadi 2 tipe : kerusakan dari dalam, misal disebabkan oleh reactive
oxygen species (ROS) dan kerusakan dari factor luar, seperti suhu, kelembaban dllbukti yang ada
di TKP mempunyai peran penting dalam identifikasi, salah satu diantaranya yakni rambut. Rambut
dapat digunakan dalam penentuan ras, jenis kelamin, golongan darah. Namun Sampai saat ini
pemeriksaan melalui rambut sebagai bahan alternative identifikasi forensik belum banyak
diketahui. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pemeriksaan melalui rambut sebagai bahan
alternative identifikasi forensik dengan DNA Profiling Hasil penelitian ini, kadar DNA sampel
penelitian yakni 20 dan ul/ml. Kadar DNA yang masih dapat digunakan dalam proses DNA
profiling, menurut Notosoehardjo (1999) mensyaratkan jumlah atau kadar DNA sekitar 20 ug/ml
untuk typing. Pada visualisasi elektroforesis dengan menggunakan polyacrylamide agarose
composit gel yang berupa pita ditentukan apakah yang muncul 212 bp untuk amelogenin X dan
380 bp untuk amelogenin Y, dengan menarik garis pita dari sampel kearah marker 100 bp. Pada
sampel nomer 1 terdapat 2 band yakni pada 212 bp dan 380 bp maka sampel nomer 1 merupakan
jenis kelamin laki-laki (XY) sedangkan pada sampel nomer 2 hanya satu band yakni pada 212 bp
sehingga merupakan jenis kelamin wanita (XX). Faktor exogenous dan endogenous dapat
berpengaruh terhadap kadar DNA. Seperti diketahui factor lingkunagn seperti halnya kelembaban
serta temperature lingkungan sangatlah berpengaruh terhadap kondisi DNA yang digunakan
sebagai bahan identifikasi DNA di bidang forensik, sebagaimana pada pemeriksaan DNA dibidang
lainnya. Rambut yang diambil dari jenasah, maka degradasi dimulai saat atau beberapa saat
meninggal mengikuti proses autolysis Kata kunci : Sex determinan, Amelogenin, PCR