forensic sci midterm

Frye standard

Admissibility standard requiring scientific evidence to be generally accepted in the relevant scientific community.

Daubert standard

Admissibility standard allowing the judge to determine if scientific evidence is relevant and reliable based on various criteria.

Chain of custody

A process that ensures evidence is collected, preserved, and maintained properly for legal proceedings.

Crime scene search

A systematic examination of a crime scene to locate, collect, and preserve evidence.

Crime scene sketch

A detailed drawing that represents the layout of a crime scene, including evidence and landmarks.

Crime scene photographs

Images taken to document the crime scene, ensuring all evidence is visually recorded.

Identification of deceased individual

Can be made using dental records, DNA, or fingerprints.

Cause of death

The specific injury or disease that leads directly to death.

Manner of death

The categorization of death as natural, accidental, suicidal, homicidal, or undetermined.

Mechanism of death

the physiological process that resulted from the cause and ultimately stopped life

Autolysis

Self-digestion or breakdown of the body's cells after death.

Putrefaction

The process of decay or rotting in a body, typically by bacterial action.

Rigor mortis

The postmortem stiffening of the body's muscles.

Livor mortis

The settling of blood in the lower parts of the body after death, causing discoloration.

PMI (Post-Mortem Interval)

The time that has elapsed since a person has died.

Expert witness

A specialist who provides testimony based on expertise in a particular field.

Locard’s exchange principle

The principle stating that every contact leaves a trace.

Forensic anthropology

The application of anthropology to legal processes, particularly in the identification of skeletal remains.

Biological profile

Information derived from skeletal remains used to identify the individual.

Forensic entomology

The study of insects to help estimate the time of death.

Instar

A developmental stage of insects between molts.

Bloodstain pattern analysis

The examination of the shape, size, and distribution of bloodstains to determine the events surrounding a crime.

Forensic serology

The examination of bodily fluids in a forensic context.

Agglutination

The clumping of particles, often used in blood typing tests.

Presumptive tests

Preliminary tests used to determine the presence of a substance.

Confirmatory tests

Tests that definitively identify a substance.

Antibodies

Proteins produced by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects.

Antigens

Molecules that provoke an immune response.

ABO system

A system for classifying blood types based on the presence of antigens.

Genetics

The study of heredity and the variation of inherited characteristics.

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid, the molecule that carries genetic information.

CODIS

The FBI's Combined DNA Index System, used for matching DNA samples.

Chromosomes

Structures within cells that contain DNA.

Alleles

Different forms of a gene.

Nitrogenous bases

The building blocks of DNA and RNA, including adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine.

PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)

A method used to amplify DNA sequences.

STR (Short Tandem Repeat)

A type of DNA polymorphism used in forensic analysis.

Gel electrophoresis

A laboratory method used to separate DNA fragments by size.