Forensic Science: Death
B
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) muslces contracting after death
True
T or F: A person who was running away from someone before he or she died will go into rigor mortis sooner that a person that was sitting quietly.
False
T or F: Adipocere is a waxy material formed from the breakdown of fat during composition under very dry conditions.
True
T or F: An autopsy is performed after an unexplained death to help explain the cause and manner of death.
False
T or F: Body heat loss speeds up after 12 hours following death.
True
T or F: Cloudiness of the eyes occurs usually after 2 hours if the eyelids are open.
False
T or F: Usually, children will lose body heat more slowly than adults.
D
The body of a person kno5wn to have eaten Mexican food at 12 noon was found dead at 11 pm. During the autopsy, the medical examiner found no food in the stomach but did find Mexican food in the first half of the small intestine. Based on the postmortme 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 pm b) between 1 pm and 2 pm c) between 2 pm and 5 pm d) between 4 pm and 11 pm
stoppage, autolysis
What are the 2 stages of death?
natural, accidental, suicidal, homicidal, undetermined
What are the 5 terms of death?
A
Which can issue death certificates but cannot perform autopsies? a) coroner b) pathologist c) medical examiner d) both the coroner and the pathologist
C
Which method of estimting postmortem intervals is least reliable if a person has been dead lbess than 12 hours? a) rigor mortis b) livor mortis c) potassium levls in the eye d) algor mortis
C
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.
medical examiner
a physician who performs autopsies, determines the cause and manner of death, and death investigations
die
cells do not _____ when the heart stops
algor mortis
cooling of the body after death
autopsy
medical examination to determine the cause of death
manner of death
one of five ways in which a person's death is classified
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
livor mortis
the pooling of the blood in tissuesafter death that results in a red skin color
mechanism of death
the specific physiological, physical, or chemical event that stops life
rigor mortis
the stiffening of the skeletal muslces after death
coroner
an elected official, either a layman or physician, who certifies death and can order additional investigations of suspicious deaths
putrefaction
destruction of soft tissue by bacteria that results in the release of waste gases and fluids