HOSA Forensic Medicine

Odontology

dentistry; study of the biology and repair of teeth

Dentition

complement of teeth of an individual

Bite Marks

usually horse-shoe shaped pattern left in inanimate objects or the tissue of a victim

Negligence

failure to treat the patient at the highest level of care and competency

Prognosis

predicted outcome of a patient's condition

Primary Dentition

the 20 baby teeth

Permanent Dentition

the 32 adult teeth

Maxilla

upper jaw

Mandible

lower jaw

Enamel

outer covering of the crown of the tooth

Cementum

outer covering of the roof of the tooth

Sharpey's Fibers

specialized fibers that connect both the tooth and the alveolar bone to the periodontal ligament

Periodontal Ligaments

specialized connective tissue ligament that holds the tooth in the alveolus

Alveolus

bony socket in either the maxilla or mandible that holds the tooth

Pulp

neurovascular tissue in the center of the tooth

Commissure

corner of the mouth

Ramus of the Mandible

vertical portion of the lower jaw that communicates with the skull

Vestibule

circular space formed by the meeting of the jaw and the cheeks

Avulsed

expelled or removed

Antemortem

before death

Perimortem

at or around the time of death

Dedicated Dimensional Standard

labeled ruler that is used in all analyses and photographs for a given bite mark case

Standard of Care

medical or psychological treatment guideline; can be general or specific; specifies appropriate treatment based on scientific evidence and collaboration between medical and/or psychological professionals involved in the treatment of a given condition

Forensic Toxicology

examination of all aspects of toxicology (the study of drugs and poisons that may have legal implications)

Postmortem Drug Testing

examination performed on blood, urine, and/or body tissues to determine if drugs were a contributing factor in a death

Contraband

in forensic toxicology and drug testing facilities refers to suspected controlled

Vitreous Humor

ocular fluid (fluid in the eye) that is often utilized as a sample for testing in postmortem toxicology

Workplace Drug Testing

examination performed on primary blood and urine from employees or job applicants for drug content

NIDA

national institute of drug abuse

Accuracy

ability of a measurement to match the value of the quantity measured; correctness

Amphetamine

controlled substance along with its analogs , such as methamphetamine that creates a state of wakefulness, euphoria, and excitatory condition (stimulation)

Hallucinogen

psychoactive drug that induces hallucinations or alters sensory experiences

Narcotic

addictive substance that reduces pains, alters mood and behavior, and usually induces sleep or stupor

Cannabinoids

term applied to marijuana and parts of the plant cannabis sativa in which tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the active agent

Phencyclidine

PCP; drug originally developed as a surgical anesthetic that was discontinued due to adverse patients reactions; abusers of the drug often experience severe psychiatric manifestations

Cyanide

CN; highly toxic chemical especially in the form of gas (hydrogen cyanine)

Chain of Custody

documented process the evidence goes through from the point of gathering to the final presentation in the court; intended to assure that there has been no tampering or altering the evidence

Gas Chromatography

gas flowing through a coated tube separates compounds by their size, weight, and chemical reactivity with the coating of the tube or column

Immunoassays

tests utilizing antibodies that react with the drug or substance that recognizes the antibody

Fluorescence

property of a product producing light when acted upon by radiant energy

Chemiluminescence

process by which light is emitted as a product of a chemical reaction

TLC

wet chemical test known as thin layer chromatography

Ultraviolet

area of the light spectrum just past visible violet and before the x-ray region

Enhancement

rendering an impression more visible through physical, photographic, chemical, or digital methods

Retention Time

time required for a substance to travel from the injection port to the detector in a gas or liquid chromatographic system

Mass Spectrometry

technique based of the detection of vaporized molecules and their ionized (charged) fragments; detection and display of the spectra are based on the mass-to-mass charge ratios of the ions; method is specific for qualitative analysis and useful for quantitative analysis

Chemical Ionization

a type of mass spectrometry in which a molecule reacts under relatively low energy with a reagent gas rather than fragmenting extensively

NIST

national institute of standards and technology

LC-MS

liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry is a technique that replaces a gas chromatograph with a liquid chromatograph

AAS

atomic absorption spectroscopy; technique for metal analysis utilizing the reduction of a metal in a solution to an atom, usually by a flame

NAA

neutron activation analysis; technique for metal analysis utilizing the characteristics of emitted radiation for the detection and quantitation of metals

Nucleus

cellular organelle surrounded by a nuclear envelope; it encloses the chromosomes during the interphase

ICP-MS

inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy; modern technique for metal analysis that utilizes radio frequency energy for the detection and quantitation of metals

Isotopes

chemical element that exits in alternate forms containing identical numbers of protons and different numbers of neutrons

Toxicogenomics

field of science that deals with how genomes respond to toxins

LD50

quantity of a substance that kills 50 percent of the population

GC-MS

acronym for gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry

Who was the first to use fingerprinting as a method of identification on a large scale?

Sir William Hershel-1856

Who was the first to devise a method of classification based on fingerprints?

Dr. Henry Faulds-1880

Who's was the first official use of a fingerprint in the United States?

Gilbert Thompson-1882

What were Sir Francis Galton's calculations of the odds of two individual fingerprints being the same?

1 in 64 billion

Who began the first fingerprint files?

Juan Vucetich -1891

When was the first criminal fingerprint identification made?

1892

When was the introduction of fingerprints for criminal identification in England and Wales?

1901

What is the classification system for fingerprinting used in all English speaking countries called?

Henry Classification System

What does AFIS stand for?

Automated Fingerprint Identification System

What does the AFIS do?

Provides:
-Automated fingerprint search
-latent print searching capability
-electronic image storage
-electronic exchange of fingerprints and responses 24/7

What does the acronym CPIN stand for? How does it work?

C-Commonwealth
P-Photo
I-Imaging
N-Network

A computer network that extends PA and is used to record and store digital photos of crime suspects

Ballistics

the science that deals with the motion, behavior, and effects of projectiles, most often firearms and bullets.

Odontology

in forensics, examination of bite marks and dental identification of corpses.

Pathology

investigation of sudden, unexplained, or violent death.

Entomology

the study of insects.

Palynology

the study of pollen and spores.

Polygraphy

the use of the "lie detector". Polygraph = lie detector

Laceration

Caused by a blunt object

Incised wounds

Caused by a sharp object

Perforating gunshot wound

Has an entrance and an exit wound

Penetrating gunshot wound

Does not have an exit wound.

Mechanism of Death

Biochemical or physiologic abnormality produced by the cause of death that is incompatible with life

Manner of Death MOD

The fashion in which the cause of death came to be.

Rigor mortis

Stiffening of the muscles that occurs following the death of a person. The glycogen in the body is not reformed leaving muscles stiff

Livor Mortis

Discoloration of the body which occurs from te settling of red blood cells after the blood stops circulating. Lividity becomes fixed at 12hrs

Algor Mortis

Cooling of the body that occurs after death. This obviously varies greatly.

Mechanical traumas

Can be sharp or blunt. Blunt traumas are further divided into firearm and non-firearm.

Non-penetrating traumas

Can be sharp or blunt. Blunt traumas are further divided into firearm and non-firearm.

GSR

Gun shot residue Gun powder leftover from shooting a gun

DOA

Dead on arrival, Death on Arrival

Cannabis

marujuana;pot

Teratogen

an agent that can cause birth defects in an embryo or fetus. two well-known examples are alcohol and thalidomide.

Alkaloid

Examples are cocaine, nicotine, strychnine, caffenine, and morphine.

Analgesics

drugs that relieve pain.

Presumptive Test

test that presumes the presence of the questioned substanced; also called a screening test.

Osteons

structures in bones that carry the blood supply.

Femur

long bone found in the leg extending from the hip to the knee.

Tibia

long bone found in the leg extending from the knee to the ankle.

Humerus

long bone found in the arm extending from the shoulder to the elbow.
upper arm

Radius

long bone found in the arm extending from the elbow to the wrist.

Os Pubis

area on the anterior side of the pelvis where the hip bones come together.

Ventral Arc

a bony ridge that is formed on the ventral (lower) side of the female os pubis.

Epiphyses

growth plates found at the ends of the long bones. they form in adolescence and fuse to the bone during early adulthood.