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