Forensic Science: s2

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary and concepts from forensic science, including autopsy procedures, anthropology, decomposition processes, and related forensic fields.

Autopsy

A procedure performed to determine the cause of death through external and internal examinations, toxicology tests, and tissue sampling.

Subpubic Angle

The angle of the subpubic bone that is wider in females (>90°) and narrower in males (<90°), used for sex determination.

Taphonomy

The study of postmortem changes to remains.

Anthropology

The study of humans, specifically applied to legal cases in forensic anthropology.

Skeletal Excavation Techniques

Methods including grid mapping, careful digging, documentation, and preservation of context for recovering skeletal remains.

Long Bones

Bones like the femur, tibia, and humerus used to calculate victim height through measurement and regression formulas.

Rigor Mortis

Muscle stiffening that occurs after death.

Pallor Mortis

Pale skin resulting from blood loss.

Livor Mortis

Discoloration caused by blood pooling after death.

Petechiae

Small hemorrhages that are often visible in the eyes.

Algor Mortis

The cooling of the body after death.

Manners of Death

Classifications of death: natural, accidental, suicide, homicide, and undetermined.

Postmortem Interval (PMI) Factors

Factors such as temperature, insect activity, body condition, and environment, with ambient temperature being the most influential.

Forensic Entomologist

A specialist who studies insect activity on remains to estimate time of death and postmortem interval.

Instar

The growth stages of a larva in insects, typically totaling three before pupation.

Maggot Size and PMI

Estimating postmortem interval by measuring the length of maggots and identifying their instar stage.

Blowflies (Calliphoridae)

Insects that are the first to arrive at a dead body, attracted by odor during decomposition.

Forensic Odontology

The study of dental evidence for identification, bite mark analysis, and age estimation.