Forensics (STUDY FLASHCARDS)

Algor mortis

The change in body temperature that occurs after death

Rigor mortis

The stiffening of skeletal muscles that occurs after death

Livor mortis

The discoloration of the body caused by the pooling of blood after death

Latent fingerprint

An invisible fingerprint made by skin oils and sweat left on a surface

Whorl

A fingerprint pattern where ridges form concentric circles or spirals

Loop

A fingerprint pattern where ridges enter from one side, curve, and exit the same side

Arch

A fingerprint pattern where ridges enter from one side and exit the opposite side without looping

Blow fly

Usually the first insect to arrive and deposit eggs on a decomposing body

Entomology

The study of insects and their relation to a criminal investigation

Trace evidence

Small physical items transferred between objects or people, such as hairs, fibers, or soil

Accelerant

A substance, often an easily vaporized liquid like gasoline, used to start a fire

Medulla

The innermost core or layer of a human or animal hair shaft

Cortex

The middle layer of the hair shaft that contains the pigment granules responsible for hair color

Cuticle

The protective, outermost transparent layer of overlapping scales on a hair shaft

Algor mortis measurement site

The location on a body, typically the liver, where core temperature is measured to estimate time of death

Femur

The long bone in the leg most useful for estimating human height in skeletal remains

Pelvis

The skeletal bone that provides the most reliable indicator of biological sex

Bifurcation

A common fingerprint minutiae characteristic where a single ridge splits into two separate ridges

Aotu

or Autopsy

Ballistics

The scientific study of the motion of projectiles and firearms evidence