Forensic Science - Chapter 4

25 July 2022
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question
Which can be used in making an identification of a deceased individual?
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fingerprinting, dental examination, facial reconstruction.
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The death of an individual suffering from chronic alcoholism is ruled:
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Natural
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The largest percentage of accidental deaths is due to:
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transportation accidents.
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Characteristic markings on the skin caused from the discharge of a firearm is known as:
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stippling and tattooing.
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Partially digested or dissolved pills can be seen in the:
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Stomach.
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The best place to take a blood sample in order to avoid contamination is the:
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Inferior vena cava.
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A sharp force injury will most likely come from a:
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Knife, blade, or glass piece.
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A body that displays a cherry-red discoloration might lead a pathologist to suspect poisoning by:
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Carbon monoxide.
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Defense wounds are most typically seen on the:
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Hands.
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Death at a fire scene is most often attributed to:
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Carbon monoxide.
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Lividity can be expected to be fixed after _____ hours.
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16.
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A pathologist would expect rigor mortis to disappear after _____ hours.
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36.
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Time of death can be approximated by analyzing the vitreous humor and the levels of:
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Potassium.
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Adipocere typically takes about _____ weeks to develop.
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12.
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What must a medical examiner possess?
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A medical degree.
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Which should be performed first at a death scene?
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Secure the scene.
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What does hemoglobin transport in the blood?
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Oxygen.
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Which factors can help to determine if a victim was alive during a fire?
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Carbon monoxide levels and the presence of soot in the body.
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Which is commonly fractured in strangulation cases?
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Thyroid cartilage.
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Common drugs tested for during a death investigation include:
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Alcohol, Cocaine, Heroin/Morphine.
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What are the types of autopsies?
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Clinical/hospital and forensic/medicolegal. Also criminal & civil.
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What part of the victim's body is often bagged in order to prevent loss of trace evidence?
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Hands.
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Death intentionally caused by another person is typically ruled a(n):
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Homicide.
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Toxicological specimens are taken at which stage of the death investigation?
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Internal examination.
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Homicide, suicide, accident, natural, and undetermined are all categories of:
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Manner of death.
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Putrefaction and autolysis are two types of _____ processes.
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Decomposition.
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List the techniques that can be used to estimate the time of death.
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Algor mortis, livor mortis, rigor mortis, potassium eye levels, stomach contents, presence of flies and maggots, stomach contents.
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A corpse was discovered in an apartment last November. It was that of a 50-year-old male who died of a heart attack. At the time of discovery, the body temperature was determined to be 89°F. What is the most probable post mortem interval?
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About 7 hours.
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The rate of cooling of a dead body can be influenced by:
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Weather conditions, environmental conditions, amount of sunlight, size of the body, location of the body, victim's clothing.
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As the post mortem interval increases, the concentration of potassium in the vitreous humor of the eye:
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Increases.
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According to forensic entomologists, which "witness" is the first to arrive at the crime scene?
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The blow fly.
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Rigor mortis refers to:
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The stiffness of death/the stiffening of muscle mass.
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What part of a decedent's body resists rapid decomposition and is used by forensic anthropologists to provide information about the decedent?
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Bones and cartilage.
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A forensic anthropologist may help to create a(n) _____ to help with the identification of the victim.
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Facial reconstruction.
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Estimations of the postmortem interval (PMI) using entomological evidence must take into account:
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The geographical location of the decedent's body, weather conditions, and the location's climate over time.
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Insect evidence should be collected:
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At the crime scene by the forensic entomologist or a trained professional.
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Evidence of tampering with the position of a body after death can be obtained by evaluating the:
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Livor mortis.
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If a cause of death cannot be found through simple observation of the victim, a(n) _____ is typically carried out.
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Autopsy.
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Typically, about an hour after death, the deceased body loses heart at a rate of approximately __________ until the body reaches the environmental temperature.
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1 - 1.5°F per hour.
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To determine the gender of skeletal remains, a forensic anthropologist can examine all of the following area of the skeleton:
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Pelvis, sacrum, jaw bone, cranium, the relative sizes of bones.
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The stage of fusion of various bones within a skeleton can be used to estimate the _____ of the decedent.
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Age.
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In cooperation with the medical examiner or coroner, evidence retrieved from a deceased victim to be submitted to the crime laboratory should include:
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Clothing, fingernail scrapings, head & pubic hair, buccal swabs, oral/anal/vaginal swabs, recovered bullets from the body, hand swabs for GSR.
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Describe the various victim characteristics that can be determined by a Forensic Anthropologist.
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Age, sex, race, health conditions, height, facial reconstructions.
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Explain how the presence of certain insects can help a Forensic Entomologist estimate the time of death.
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The presence of maggots and their larvae help Forensic Entomologists determine the time of death by their stage of development and their presence on the body.
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Briefly describe the processes of algor mortis, livor mortis, and rigor mortis.
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Algor mortis is the loss of body temperature until the body reaches room temperature after death, livor mortis is the settling of blood in body areas closest to the ground after death due to the loss of circulation, and rigor mortis is the stiffening of muscles and joints after death.