Biometric authentication systems, entities that leverage unique biological traits for individual identification, have become increasingly relevant in the digital age, addressing critical safety and security concerns. These biometric identifiers, being distinct and irreversible, uniquely differentiate individuals. Biometric recognition's significance extends to diverse domains, including forensics, defense, surveillance, personal identification, and banking. The impetus for advancements in biometric authentication systems is driven by the imperative need for resilience, high precision, and resistance against spoofing. This paper aims to elucidate the recent advancements in this evolving field. The fundamentals of biometric authentication systems, issues and vulnerabilities inherent in basic biometric systems, as well as the cutting-edge biometric systems developed in recent years, are thoroughly reviewed. The paper further explores how challenges can be mitigated through the deployment of Multimodal biometric systems and vein pattern-based systems. A synopsis of real-time face recognition incorporating morphing attack detection is also provided. This comprehensive survey concludes that the performance of biometric recognition systems is continually being augmented, predominantly through the incorporation of deep learning frameworks and 3D biometric imagery, which offer highly accurate representations of human biometric features.