What term is used for the measurement of physical characteristics, such as palm prints or retina scans?

The term used for the measurement of physical characteristics, such as palm prints or retina scans, is biometrics. Biometrics refers to the unique biological attributes of individuals that can be measured and used for identification or verification purposes. These characteristics can include fingerprints, facial recognition, iris scans, and voice patterns, among others.

Biometric systems leverage these unique traits to create a secure method of verifying an individual's identity, making them increasingly popular in various security applications, such as access control to buildings or electronic devices. The accuracy and uniqueness of biometric data offer a level of security that traditional methods, like passwords or IDs, may not provide.

In contrast, identification typically refers to the act of recognizing who someone is, while verification involves confirming that the person's provided identity matches stored information. Authentication is a broader term that encompasses both verification processes and the means of proving that a claim of identity or access is legitimate. Hence, biometrics stands out as the specific category focused on physical measurement for identification and security purposes.