Intro to Forensics/ Final Exam/ Dautartas

What is the study of entomology?

examination and identification of arthropods collected from or near corpses

What is one method entomologists use in forensics?

use insects to determine time since death or use insects to determine what chemicals where in the body

What is the study of forensic anthropology?

The application of principles of skeletal biology to legal issues

What are some methods forensic anthropologists use?

construct biological profile from the remains to determine sex, age, and stature

What is forensic odontology?

the application of dentistry to criminal and civil law

What are some methods forensic odontologists use?

utilize teeth to determine age estimation and identity

What is forensic DNA analysis?

the analysis of DNA from blood, hair, saliva, urine, etc., to determine an identity

What methods for forensic DNA analysts use?

compare strands of DNA to determine an identity

What is forensic toxicology?

detecting and identifying the presence of drugs and poisons in body fluids, tissues, and organs

What methods do forensic toxicologists use?

screen for presence of poisons or alcohol

What is forensic chemistry?

detecting and identifying relevant chemical materials collected at the scene and reconstructing and identifying igniter mechanisms

What are some methods forensic chemists use?

analyzing burn pattern and materials to determine the cause and exact whereabouts of the fire.

what is ballistic analysis?

determining whether a bullet or cartridge was fired
by a particular weapon

What are some methods ballistic analysis use?

analyzing the scraping pattern on a bullet and comparing it to the ridges in the chamber, analysis distance from bullet entry and burn mark to determine what kind of gun and gunpowder was used

what is fingerprint analysis?

the analysis of the fingerprint ridge pattern on a taken fingerprint to determine an identity

What are some methods finger analysts use?

comparing ridge patterns from taken and given samples

What is forensic psychology?

using the study of one's behavior to determine the motivation or understanding of one's reaction in criminal or civil law

What are some methods forensic psychologists use?

study a person's pattern or brain for injuries or illnesses and emotional state

What is individualization?

when something is unique and specific to each person (fingerprint, DNA, etc)

What are the basic protocols for evidence collecting and preservation for entomology?

collect each arthropod present and store in a airtight container as well as freeze them

What are the basic protocols for evidence collecting and preservation for anthropology?

collect every piece of bone even if one is to be believed for a rock, clean each bone, label, and keep on safe surfaces and boxes

What are the basic protocols for evidence collecting and preservation for odontology?

collecting every tooth, clean, label, and store in airtight containers

What are the basic protocols for evidence collecting and preservation for DNA analysis?

collect any blood, hair, tissue, body fluids, etc, in airtight containers and label each one

What are the basic protocols for evidence collecting and preservation for toxicology?

collect any poison or food samples in airtight containers and label each one with a hazard label

What are the basic protocols for evidence collecting and preservation for chemistry?

collect materials that are believed to be the cause of the fire, any liquid substances at the scene of the fire, and take pictures of all fire marks

What are the basic protocols for evidence collecting and preservation for ballistic analysis?

collect all bullets and shotgun shells, any materials that were shot through, and pictures of bullet entry and exit

What are the basic protocols for evidence collecting and preservation for fingerprint analsis?

dust for any fingerprint and pick up on tape, glue surface, etc and analyze in the lab without letting any dust or air touch it to keep the results true

What are the basic protocols for evidence collecting and preservation for psychology?

analyze the suspect carefully, make notes of every incident or trauma leading events, compare to others.

what are points of comparison?

the areas in which part of a fingerprint are the same with the collected samples and there is no minimum set of numbers for points of comparison due to the probability of pieces of the fingerprint missing

Firearms

any weapon that can send an object into another

handguns

any gun that can be set off with one hand (pistols or revolvers)

long guns

any gun that usually involves two hands and has a long barrel (shot gun or rifle)

gun barrel markings

the microscopic drill marks on the inside of the gun barrel that leaves unique scratches on each bullet

rifling

impressing the inner surface of the barrel with spiral grooves that are requires by manufacturers

caliber

the diameter of the gun barrel

striations

fine lines found in the interior of the barrel

If shells or bullets are examined for analysis, what are the analysts looking for?

the striation pattern on the bullet to compare to the rifling of the gun

How is distance determined in ballistic analysis?

the smoke ring around the bullet hole, if its bigger and darker, it was a direct contact hit and if it is missing, it was a far hit

Gun powder residue

the residue from gun powder from the firing of a gun. It is used to determine the distance of the shooter to the object being shot at

Tool marks

any impression, cut, gouge, or abrasion
caused by a tool coming into contact with another object

primer residue

residue that is projected back to the shooter when a firearm is fired, and it used to determine the shooter

scene investigation

preliminary reconstruction of events that preceded the
onset of death (blood splatter pattern, footprints, tire marks, fingerprints, etc)

autopsy

examination of a body after death

What evidence types are collected at an autopsy?

tissues, organs, bullets, clothing, swabs (vaginal, anal, buccal, and hands), hair combing from head and pubic, fingernail scrapings

rigor mortis

shortening of muscle tissue and stiffening of the body

algor mortis

body temperature adjusts to environmental temperature

livor mortis

blood settling in areas closet to the ground

External examination

broad overview of the conditions of the body and clothing as well as any injuries that can be seen from outside the body

internal examination

weighing, dissecting, and sectioning's the organs of the body

cause of death

the specific injury that caused the death (gun shots, blunt or sharp force trauma, etc)

manner of death

the offense that took place during the death (homicide, suicide, etc)

natural manner of death

death from disease, environmental abuse, age

accidental manner of death

no intent to cause harm through gross negligence on the part of a perpetrator or the victim (car crash, etc)

undetermined manner of death

a rational classification cannot be established

homicide manner of death

when someone kills another human being

suicide manner of death

when someone kills themselves

base pairs

nitrogen bases that connect to an assigned nitrogen base (adenine to guanine, and cytosine to thymine)

short tandem repeats

locations on the chromosome that contain short sequences that repeat themselves within the DNA molecule

PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)

the remake of millions of copies of DNA

Double helix structure of DNA

the two strands of DNA wrapping and twisting around each other

CODIS

a tool that compares D N A types recovered from
crime scene evidence to those of convicted sex offenders and other convicted criminals

DNA replication as it relates to PCR

PCR makes millions of copies of DNA that can be used, if put together correctly, to replicate DNA

Genes

the fundamental unit of heredity

Alleles

the alternate form of a gene

chromosomes

a long DNA molecule

mitosis

the growth and repair of cells

meiosis

the growth of gametes

RFLP

length differences associated with relatively long repeating DNA strands

Product Rule

The combination of the frequencies of each STR

Likelihood ratio

compares the probabilities of the evidence originating from two different events

Mitochondrial DNA

DNA found in the mitochondria

Sources of DNA evidence

Blood, Semen, Saliva, Skin cells (touch DNA), Hair, Bone

Three basic fingerprint principles

1. A fingerprint is an individual characteristic because
no two fingers have yet been found to possess
identical ridge characteristics.
2. A fingerprint will remain unchanged during an
individual’s lifetime.
3. Fingerprints have general ridge patterns that permit
them to be systematically classified

Basic ridge pattern types

loop, whirls, arches

ridge

lines on a fingerprint that attaches to sweat glands underneath

bifurcation

the division of a ridge that branches into two ridges

enclosure

when a ridge opens into two ridges then connects back together

ridge island

when a ridge opens up around another ridge and cuts off the inner ridge and forms back together

type line

The pattern area of the loop is surrounded by two
diverging ridges

delta

the ridge point at or nearest the point were
two type lines diverge

core

the approximate center of the loop pattern

ACE-V

Analysis (identify points of comparison and external
factors), Comparison (compare the questioned print at 3 levels), Evaluation (determine a conclusion), and Verification (the examiner’s conclusion is confirmed
by a second examiner)

Primary classification

the method of comparing multiple fingerprints and classifying them into groups of points based on (a) print type and (b) points of comparison

AFIS

Automated Fingerprint Identification System

latent fingerprints

fingerprints invisible to the naked eye

Arson investigation

examine the physical attributes of a fire scene

accelerant

a substance used to accelerate a process (such as the spreading of a fire)

oxidation

the combination of oxygen with other substances to produce new substances

combustion

The heat and light released when a substance burn

ignition point

the lowest temperature at which a combustible substance in air will ignite and continue to burn

flash point

the temperature at which a particular organic compound gives off sufficient vapor to ignite in air

glowing combustion

emission of heat and light without a flame

conduction

the movement of heat through a solid
object

radiation

the transfer of heat energy by electromagnetic radiation

convection

the transfer of heat energy by the movement of molecules within a liquid or gas

indicators of arson

1. Evidence of separate and unconnected fires
2. The use of "streamers" to spread the fire from one
area to another
3. An irregularly shaped pattern on the floor resulting
from the pouring of accelerant onto the surface

head space

vapor

flashover

when all the combustible fuels simultaneously ignite to engulf the entire structure.

vapor concentration

a charcoal strip is placed in the airtight debris container when it is heated and absorbs the vapors

gas chromatography

chromatography employing a gas as the moving carrier medium