Chapter 12- Death: Manner, Mechanism, Cause
T/F Adipocere is a waxy material formed from the breakdown of fat during decomposition under very dry conditions
False
T/F Body heat loss speeds up after 12 hours following death
False
T/F Usually, children will lose body heat more slowly than adults
False
T/F once skin slippage begins, it is impossible to obtain fingerprints.
False
Where do forensic investigators take a corpse's temperature?
In the liver or rectum
Body changes after death stages
Stoppage then Autolysis
What does it mean if there is rigor in every body part but the face, jaw, and neck?
The body is losing rigor and death occurred over 15 hours ago
Algor mortis
The cooling of the body after death
livor mortis
The pooling of the blood in tissues after death resulting in a reddish color to the skin
T/F A person who was running away from someone before they died will go into rigor mortis sooner than the person who was sitting quietly
True
T/F Cloudiness of the eyes occurs usually after 2 hours if the eyelids are open
True
t/f: an autopsy is performed after an unexplained death to help explain the cause & manner of death.
True
medical examiner
a physician who performs autopsies, determines the cause and manner of death, and oversees death investigations
Occurrences after 3 weeks - 2 months after death
great loss of mass do to insect infestation, fat on the body start to undergo decomposition
Stage 1: Stoppage
heart stops - end of Oxygen Nerves, muscles, organs stop
autopsy
medical examination to determine the cause of death
What are the manners of death?
natural, accident, suicide, homicide, undetermined
manner of death
one of five ways in which a person's death is classified (i.e., natural, accidental, suicidal, homicidal, or undetermined)
Occurrences over 2 months after death
soft tissue is usually gone, bones remain, odors are mostly gone
autolysis
the breakdown of cells as they self-digest
decomposition
the breakdown of once-living matter by living organisms
cause of death
the injury or condition responsible for a person's death
mechanism of death
the specific physiological, physical, or chemical event that stops life
rigor mortis
the stiffening of the body after death
How fast does the body cool after death?
1.4 degrees F per hour but varies depending on weather
How long does it take for food to leave the small intestines?
12 hours
What time after death is the body most stiff?
12 hours after death
When does lividity begin?
2 hours after death
When does rigor mortis begin?
2 hours after death
When does a cloudy film in the eyes occur?
2-3 hours after death if their eyes were open, 24 hours after death if their eyes were closed
How long does it take for the stomach to empty its contents into the small intestines?
2-6 hours
In what temperature do bodies decompose fastest in?
21-37 degrees Celsius
Occurrences several hours after death
Autolysis begins, muscles lose tone, bladder and rectum empty, mortis, cloudy films over open eyes, flies arrive
Stage 2: Autolysis
Damaged cells trigger a cell demolition
coroner
an elected official, either a layman or physician, who certifies deaths and can order additional investigations of suspicious deaths
Occurrences after several days after death
blistering of the skin and internal organs, putrefaction, abdominal swelling as intestines get consumed, internal pressure from fluids, marbling skin discoloration, loss of rigor mortis, increased insect activity
Occurrences after 7-23 days after death
bloating continues, discoloration of skin makes identification of skin color near impossible, soft tissue starts to liquify
Lividity
blood pooling
putrefaction
destruction of soft tissue by bacteria that results in the release of waste gases and fluids
What body parts exhibit rigor mortis first?
face, jaw, and neck
