Eccrine Residue
Definition
The water-based secretion from eccrine glands in friction-ridge skin, containing water, amino acids, salts, urea, and lactic acid; the primary component of fresh latent print deposits on non-porous surfaces.
- Composition
- Water, amino acids, salts, urea, lactic acid
- Source
- Eccrine glands in friction-ridge skin
- Best suited surfaces
- Non-porous surfaces
- Freshness dependence
- Primary component of fresh latent deposits
Common questions
Why does eccrine residue behave differently on porous versus non-porous surfaces?+
On non-porous surfaces the water-based residue sits on top and is vulnerable to evaporation, smudging, and environmental disturbance, while on porous surfaces it absorbs into the material, which is why powder methods work best on fresh, non-porous deposits and chemical development suits porous items.
How does eccrine residue age affect print recovery?+
As the watery component evaporates over hours to days, remaining salts and amino acids can still be developed but the ridge detail becomes fainter and more sensitive to handling, so lifting technique and timing both affect the quality of the recovered print.
Related terms
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- Hinge Lifter
- A pre-assembled lifting unit in which a clear acetate film hinged to a backing card is folded over a developed print, pressed,...
- Magnetic Powder
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- Magnetic Wand
- A stylus containing a retractable internal magnet that draws magnetic powder into a cluster at the tip for application to surfaces; retraction...
- Non-Porous Substrate
- A surface (glass, gloss metal, polished plastic) that does not absorb latent print residue, retaining it on the surface and making it...
- Porous Substrate
- A surface (paper, uncoated cardboard, raw wood) that absorbs the aqueous component of latent print residue into its matrix, making powder development...
- Sebaceous Residue
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