Chapter 12- Death: Manner, Mechanism, Cause

Once skin slippage begins, it is impossible to obtain fingerprints

False

Usually, children will lose body heat more slowly than adults

False

A person who was running away from someone before he or she died will go into rigor mortis sooner than a person who was sitting quietly

True

An autopsy is preformed after an unexplained death to help explain the cause and manner of death

True

Cloudiness of the eyes occurs usually after 2 hours if the eyelids are open

True

Which can issue death certificates but cannot perform autopsies? A.) coroner B.) pathologist C.) medical examiner D.) Both the coroner and the pathologist

A.) coroner

Marbling occurs as a result of? A.) fats being broken down by bacteria B.) chemical reactions of sulfur and hemoglobin C.) lactic acid formation as a result of reduced oxygen levels in the blood D.) muscles contracting after death

B.) chemical reactions of sulfur and hemoglobin

Which statement about the rate of decomposition is generally true? A.) the body of an overweight person will decompose faster than the body of a person who was not overweight B.) decomposition will occur faster if the body is submerged in water than if it is on land C.) a buried body decomposes more slowly than a body that is not buried D.) ambient temperature does not affect the rate of decomposition

C.) a buried body decomposes more slowly than a body that is not buried

Which method of estimating postmortem interval is the least reliable if a person has been dead less than 12 hours? A.) rigor mortis B.) livor mortis C.) potassium levels in the eye D.) algor mortis

C.) potassium levels in the eye

The body of a person known to have eaten Mexican food at 12 noon was found dead at 11 P.M. During autopsy, the medical examiner found no food in the stomach but did find evidence of Mexican food in the first half of the small intestine. Based on the postmortem interval estimate from the stomach contents only, which of the following times would be the best estimate of a postmortem interval? A.) Between noon and 1 P.M. B.) Between 1 P.M. and 2 P.M. C.) Between 2 P.M. and 5 P.M. D.) Between 4 P.M. and 11 P.M.

D.) Between 4 P.M. and 11 P.M.

Adipocere is a waxy material formed from the breakdown of fat during decomposition under very dry conditions.

False

Body heat loss speeds up after 12 hours following death

False