Forensic Science HOSA

definition of pathology

study of disease

definition of pathologist

medical diagnostician (doctor''s doctor) determines patient's diagnosis

definition of anatomic pathology

science of analyzing tissue structure from a wide variety of specimens (biopsies and autopsy)

definition of cytopathology

(cylo=cell) subspecialty of anatomic pathology, but microscopic diagnosis is made by examination of individual cells (collected through procedures from fluids and tissues)

definition of clinical pathology

involves the analysis and interpretation of chemical, hormonal, and biochemical components of body fluids to determine whether a disease is present

definition of microbiology

involves testing and diagnosis of material to determine which infectious organism (bacteria, fungus, virus, parasite) is infecting or infesting the patient

definition of hematopathology

(blood) focuses on diagnosis of disease of blood and blood forming organs

definition of neuropathologist

diseases of nervous system

definition of dermapathology

diseases of skin

forensic pathology

main diagnosis effort is to determine cause of death and how death occurred

definition of toxicologist

examines samples of tissues obtained during autopsy to determine what drugs (legal and illegal) or poisons are in the body as well as location and quantity

what are the 5 manners of deaths?

natural, accident, suicide, homicide, undetermined

what is meant by the natural manner of death?

refers to death due to medical issues

what is meant by the accidental manner of death?

result of unexpected, unforeseen and unintended fatal event

what is meant by the suicidal manner of death?

intentional killing of one's self

what is meant by the homicidal manner of death?

intentional killing by another person

what is meant by the undetermined manner of death?

when case of death can't be explained

definition of hoximate cause of death

initial incident of art that set into motion, person's death (proximate cause of death must be identified)

definition of immediate cause of death

thing that caused death (nothing leading up to event); aka mechanism of death

definition of autopsy

meticulously performed procedure that is much more extensive

what are the two parts of an autopsy?

internal and external

definition of an external autopsy

head-to-toe inspection of body (hair, tattoos, color of eyes, etc.); pictures are taken often with a ruler

definition of an internal autopsy

(men have a Y-shaped incision; women have a T-shaped incision); organs are removed and dissected; pleural cavities are examined for blood and fluid and tumors; pericardium is removed; pulmonary blood vessels are examined; heart valves are examined and measured; all organs are removed and dissected; contents of stomach are noted; a tend of autopsy samples of blood, urine, kidney, liver, brain, bile and gastric contents are collected and saved for toxicological exam

definition of anoxic

caused by the loss of RBC's; death from asphyxia/anoxic occur when breathing is stopped

definition of smothering

due to mechanical obstruction of the upper airway by an object

definition of strangulation

outside of the neck is constricted; leads abrasion-like marks on skin; petechial hemorrhages on face and conjunctiva of the inner eyelids are often associated with strangulation and smothering

definition of petechial hemorrhages

discrete bleeding points about the size of a pin that result from bleeding of capillaries; environmental causes include drowning, sometimes monoxide poisoning; drowning has several phases and can be identified if body has H2O in not only lungs but also stomach

what are the 4 asphyxia/anoxic deaths?

anoxic, smothering, strangulation, petechial hemorrhages

what are the 3 violent deaths through physical injury?

blunt, defense wound, hesitation wound

definition of blunt

force injuries; usually caused by an object staking the body; usually cause contusions of the soft tissues (bruise); lacerations can be left if force is great enough; can also be seen in internal organs/in broken bones

definition of defense wound

usually one or more cuts or slashes found on the arms, hands, fingers, shows signs of a struggle

definition of a hesitation wound

one of the parallel directed, superficial cuts found o wrists or neck of the deceased mark by the person him or herself; penetrating injuries, such as bullets, knives, and other objects; electrical injuries; thermal injuries, exposure to heat, cold, and fire

death due to fire arms

autopsy retrieves bullet so that ballistics experts can determine firearm used and match the specific bullet to a certain gun; determines trajectory (path by bullet) and any entrance and exit wounds

definition of arson

fires that are intentionally set; being struck by lightning leaves a tree mark pattern on skin

definition of chain of custody

tracking system used to know who handled evidence

definition of mortis

dependent on internal temperature of person; dependent on physical condition of dead

definition of cadaveric spasm

where muscles contract forcibly at moment of death

definition of late signs of death

by this time all early signs are gone; body starts a decomposition autolysis process (self "digestive"); end result is that all soft tissues eventually disappear and becomes skeletonized

definition of mummification

black leather appearance; skin shrines and dries

definition of adipocere

fat tissue turns waxy; happens for bodies found in H2O; these T changes also occur inside the body; may occur in body exposed to air over the course of one year (depends on temperature); insects that infest the body speed up skeletonization of body

definition of forensic entomologist

(entom=insect) can determine postmortem internal based on type of stage of insect larvae present

definition of presumptive identification

determined identity by drivers license, passport, etc. (not enough need positive identification)

definition of positive identification

usually occurs when a friend, relative views body and confirms identity; if body is decomposed forensic odontologist can examine and x-ray teeth of deceased or DNA or forensic anthropologist (bones)

what are the 3 homocide-related types of people?

serial killer, spree killers, mass murderers

definition of serial killer

murderers who commit homicides with multiple victims

definition of spree killers

person who kills victims inn a shot period of time

definition of mass murderers

person who kills group of people simultaneously

what are the 5 gray areas/people who are in a forensic team?

forensic toxicologist, forensic odontologist, forensic anthropologist, forensic entomologist/biologist, forensic psychiatrist/psychologist

definition of forensic toxicologist

analyze blood and tissues to determine the presence or absence of poisons and drugs

definition of forensic odontologist

identify the deceased and evaluate any bite marks that may be present

definition of forensic anthropologist

evaluate skeletal remains

definition of forensic entomologist/biologist

evaluate flora and fauna to determine time and place of death

definition of forensic psychiatrist and psychologist

evaluate the accused person, identify behavioral profiles of victim and/or subject

what are the 3 ways to identify blood?

presumptive testing of bloodstain evidence, Kastle-Meyer blood screening test, Luminol testing of blood evidence

what are the 5 main tests that are done for blood?

microscopic examination, chemical methods, spectrophoto-metrie analysis, immunological methods, DNA analysis

definition of presumptive testing of bloodstain evidence

determines whether or not evidence is actually blood; many of these bloodstain tests use a specific recant that interacts with hemoglobin; produces either a light/color change

definition of Kastle-Meyer blood screening test

evidence stain is swabbed and sprayed with ethanol and then sprayed with a pH indicator that reacts with hemoglobin

definition of Luminol testing of blood evidence

luminal uses process of chemiluminescence using chemicals to create a light reaction; luminal reacts with hemoglobin and produces a blue green light

definition of semen

semifluid mixture of cells, enzymes and other organic/inorganic material

definition of spermatozoon

sperm cell

where can you identify sperm?

may be on clothing, skin, bedding, etc.

what would be the visual inspection of sperm?

yellow-white

what would the alternate light source be for sperm?

fluorescence

how can you test for sperm identification?

seminal and phosphate (semen as high levels of acid phosphate), Brentamine Fast Blue Test (and tests how purple), Christmas Tree Stain

definition of drip stains/patterns

caused by force of gravity only, also includes drip traits and flow patterns

definition of stains/patterns

blood contaminated objects contacting a surface; created when a wet, bloody surface contacts another surface; recognizable image of all or a portion of the original surface may be observed in the pattern; transfer bloodstain can be further subdivided into: contact bleeding, swipes of wipes; spatter patterns (impact, cast off, etc.) = liquid blood, internally or externally, subjected to a force greater than gravity; blood spatter patterns created when an exposed blood source is subjected to an action or force greater than gravity; size, shape, and number of resultant blood stains will depend generally on the amount of force applied to the liquid blood

definition of directionality of bloodstains

when droplet impacts a surface at a perpendicular (90 degree) angle the resulting bloodstain will appear circular; when a blood droplet impacts a surface at less than a 90 degree angle, the resulting bloodstain will ave an elongated or elliptical appearance; in addition, the droplet will identify the direction of travel

definition of forensic anthropology

specialize in the research, application of techniques used to determine age at death, sex, population, affinity, stature, abnormalities/pathology; anthropology can be useful in mass murder cases; can show premortem events, taphonomy, perpetrator behavior

definition of determination of gender

gender determination is difficult in round individuals because the bones haven't developed yet; males are usually bigger than females: bones are larger, areas devoted to muscle attachment are larger and more rigged; ethnicity can affect how one's skeleton looks; pelvic area is reliable for telling gender; female: wide and shallow (short); male: bigger mastoid process, brow ridges

definition of age

can be determined by knowing whether or not epiphyses have fused and which haven't; bones grow, fuse together as you get older; after the age of 20, bones are done growing and age must be determined by degenerate changes in the body; pubis symphysis, 4th rib, skull (sutures)

definition of ancestry

look for skeletal features that occur more commonly in certain races: Asian, European, African

definition of stature

a person's normal height; measure legs and arms and put measurements in a formula

definition of individual characteristics

genetic or nutritional disorders, diseases and infractions or heated fractures can distinguish individuals

definition of osteogenesis imperfecta

brittle bone disease; can show antemortem medial records

definition of anemia

swollen marrow space in bones

definition of vitamin c and d

scurvy and rickets

definition of soft tissue

leads to tension, causing tissue to react and leave visible lesions or holes in bones

definition of TB

leads to lesions in bone

definition of syphilis

causes degenerative pits to form (head, nose, skin)

definition of fracture

broken bones heal but can leave scar; if fracture was severe metal places, rocks, screws may be present

what? (weapons)

analyze skeletal trauma and differentiating between injuries caused by bullets, sharp objects, blunt objects, etc.

definition of sharp force trauma

results when a narrow or pointed object hits a small area

definition of blunt force trauma

results from larger implement hitting a much broader area

definition of projective trauma

high force in a small area (bullets); other trauma may include strangulation, electrocution, chemical or heat related trauma, or explosions; these can help lead to the cause of death

when?

anthropologists use taphonomy

definition of entomology

using insects to help estimate the postmortem interval (TOD); species present on the body=different times; develop mental stages of insects present on the body

what 4 steps are in the basic insect life cycle?

1. eggs shed by female into environment

2. eggs hatch into larvae

3. larvae form pupae

4. adults hatch from pupae

what are the 4 factors that affect insect growth rate?

temperature, food quality, oxygen levels, day length and season

definition of temperature (entomology)

hot temperature=bugs go down

definition of food quality

insects want "healthy' protein foods

definition of day length and season

more active during summer

what are the 3 common colonization sequence?

1. flies drive within hours of death; attracted to odors of decomposing; most useful for estimating TSD (time since death)

2. carrion beetles arrive within a few days

3. during the day stage of decomposing carpet beetles arrive; consume skin, hair, and bone

what are the 6 steps in the Blackbox Fly Life Cycle?

1. fly

2. eggs: 23 hrs. - 1 day

3. 1st instar larva: 22 hrs. - 1 day

4. 2nd or 1 day: 2nd maggot

5. 130 hrs. - 5.5 days: 3rd instar larva

6. pupa - 143 hrs. or 6 days

(some species can show if they body moved or not)

definition of forensic entomology

entomological evidence can also determine if a victim was abused or raped by the rips of insects attached to the body; DNA of human blood can be taken from an insect's stomach and used for a source of identification; toxicological analysis can also be done on insects to show toxins that accumulated in human tissue prior to death

definition of forensic odontology

specially trained dentist who use their expertise to help identify unknown remains and trace bite marks to a specific individual; they can identify human remains, bodies in mass fatalities, determine source of bite marks, estimate age of skeletal remains

what are the 7 types of bite marks?

hemorrhage, abrasion, contusion, laceration, incision, avulsion, artifact

hemorrhage

small bleeding spot

definition of abrasion

non damaging mark on skin

definition of contusion

ruptured blood vessel, bruise

definition of laceration

punctured or turn skin