Vocabulary Chapter 12 Forensic

medical examiner

A physician who performs autopsies, determines the cause and manner of death, and oversees death investigations

autopsy

Medical examination to determine the cause of death

manner of deatg

One of the five ways in which a person's death is classified (natural, accidental, suicidal, homicidal, or undetermined)

autolysis

The breakdown of cells as they self-digest

decomposition

The breakdown of once-living matter by living organisms

coroner

An elected official, either a layman or physician, who certifies deaths and can order additional investigations of suspicious deaths

algor mortis

Cooling of the body after death

putrefaction

Destruction of soft tissue by bacteria that results in the release of waste gases and fluids

cause of death

The injury or condition responsible for a person's death (heart attack or kidney failure)

livor mortis

The pooling of the blood in tissues after death that results in a red skin color

mechanism of deatg

The specific physiological, physical, or chemical event that stops life

rigor mortis

The stiffening of the skeletal muscles after death