Forensic Science Final Exam Review

Forensic Science Final Exam Review Flashcards

Who was Calvin Goddard?

A forensic scientist, army officer, academic, researcher, and a pioneer in forensic ballistics

Who was Francis Galton?

An English explorer and anthropologist best known for his research in eugenics and human intelligence.

Who was Mathieu Orfila?

Toxicologist and chemist, the founder of the science of toxicology.

Who was Alphonse Bertillon?

One of the first forensic experts to reveal the identity of a criminal from fingerprints collected on the crime scene.

Who was Locard?

A French criminologist, the pioneer in forensic science who became known as the "Sherlock Holmes of France". He formulated the basic principle of forensic science: "Every contact leaves a trace".

Who was Karl Landsteiner?

Austrian-born American biologist, physician, and immunologist who distinguished the ABO blood groups.

What is Forensic Science?

The scientific application of knowledge of crime and legal questions.

How is the scientific method used in Forensic Science?

Formulate a question, create a hypothesis, test the hypothesis and validation of the hypothesis is proper scientific evidence.

What are Locard’s Exchange Principle?

When a criminal comes in contact with an object or person, a cross-transfer of evidence occurs.

What is the CSI effect?

The belief that television crime shows are affecting decisions made in the courtrooms from jurors.

What is the difference between civil and criminal laws?

Criminal law involves the government's prosecution of a defendant who is accused of a crime, while civil law involves a plaintiff's lawsuit against a defendant.

How do expert witnesses differ from lay witnesses?

Experts may use their knowledge or skill to draw conclusions, lay witnesses can only base their opinions on information they personally observed.

What is Forensic Psychiatry?

An area in which the relationship between human behavior and legal proceedings is examined.

What is Forensic Odontology?

Involves using teeth to provide information about the identification of victims when a body is left in an unrecognizable state; also investigates bite marks.

What is Forensic Engineering?

Concerned with failure analysis, accident reconstruction, and causes and origins of fires or explosions.

What is Forensic Computer Science?

Involves the examination of digital evidence.

What is the Physical Science Unit?

Incorporates the principles of chemistry, physics, and geology to identify and compare physical evidence.

What is the Biology Unit?

Applies the knowledge of biological sciences in order to investigate blood samples, body fluids, hair, and fiber samples.

What is the Firearms Unit?

Investigates discharged bullets, cartridge cases, shotgun shells, and ammunition.

What is the Document Unit?

Provides the skills needed for handwriting analysis and other questioned-document issues.

What is the Photographic Unit?

Applies specialized photographic techniques for recording and examining physical evidence.

What is the Toxicology Unit?

Examines body fluids and organs for the presence of drugs and poisons.

What is the Latent Fingerprint Unit?

Processes and examines evidence for latent fingerprints.

What is the Polygraph Unit?

Conducts polygraph or lie detector tests.

What is the Voiceprint Analysis Unit?

Attempts to tie a recorded voice to a particular suspect.

What is the Evidence-Collection Unit?

Dispatches specially trained personnel to the crime scene to collect and preserve physical evidence.

What is Demonstrative Evidence?

Actual objects, pictures, models and other devices which are supposedly intended to clarify the facts for the judge and jury

What is Physical Evidence?

Any tangible item that has some connection or information pertaining to a trial

What is the Innocence Project?

A project used to free convict individuals after DNA evidence

What is the Cross Race Effect?

A phenomenon in which people are better at recognizing faces of their own race rather than those of other races.

What is Circumstantial Evidence?

Indirect evidence, only left behind by suspect or victim. Can be physical or biological.

What is Direct Evidence?

First hand observations, Confessions.

What is the difference between individual and class evidence?

Narrows down to single individual while class evidence narrows down to group

What is the Chain of Custody for physical evidence?

Bag the evidence, Add identification, Seal it, Sign it across the sealed edge, Sign over to a lab technician Open bag on non-sealed edge, Return items to the evidence bag Seal evidence bag in another bag, Sign the evidence log

What part of hair is class? Individual?

The shaft of the hair is class, but the root is individual.

What are the 3 stages of hair growth?

Anogen, Catogen, Telogen

What is the Cuticle of a hair?

Outside covering -scales

What is the Cortex of a hair?

Inner layer made of keratin

What is the Medulla of a hair?

Inside layer running down the middle of the cortex.

How do you tell the difference between hairs and fibers?

Synthetic fibers are generally not round. Natural fibers are generally round.

What is Direct Transfer?

Passing of evidence, such as fiber, from victim to suspect or vice versa

What is Secondary Transfer?

The transfer of evidence such as a fiber from a source (such as a carpet) to a person (suspect), and then to another person (victim)

What are Ridges/Valleys? Minutiae?

In a fingerprint, ridges are represented by the dark lines whereas the valleys are represented by the white area between the ridges. Minutiae points are the major features of a fingerprint image and are used in the matching of fingerprints.

What are latent fingerprints?

Sometimes called hidden prints, are caused by the transfer of oils and other body secretions onto a surface.

What are patent fingerprints?

Left by the transfer of blood, paint or another fluid or powder onto a surface that is smooth enough to hold the print; evident to the naked eye

What are plastic fingerprints?

indentations left in some soft material such as clay, putty, or wax.

What is a gene?

A segment of DNA

What is a chromosome?

A threadlike structure of nucleic acids and protein found in the nucleus of most living cells, carrying genetic information in the form of genes.

What is an allele?

Variation of a gene

What does Heterozygous mean?

Different alleles

What does Homozygous mean?

Same Alleles

What is a dominant allele?

Masks a recessive allele.

What is a recessive allele?

Must have two recessive alleles to be recessive.

What is a Genotype?

Letter combinations

What is a Phenotype?

Physical characteristics

What is the antibody/antigen response?

antibodies will respond to an antigen and start to attack.

What 3 parts make-up DNA?

Sugar, Phosphate, and Nitrogen Base.

What are STR vs VNTR?

The number of repeats varies from person to person of bases in length 9 to 80 bases in length

What is PCR?

Technique generates multiple copies of DNA evidence

How does electrophoresis work to separate DNA?

Separating DNA based on size. Smaller pieces of DNA run from the positive to negative and further.

How does an explosion differ from a fire?

Fire is caused is when a substance rapidly consumes oxygen to produce heat and light. An explosion is an event where energy rapidly expands outward from the source, often creating a damaging shock wave.

What causes a bullet to be propelled by a gun?

The firing pin hits the base of the cartridge, igniting the primer powder. The primer powder sparks through the flash hole to the main propellant supply. The pressure of the explosion pushes the bullet from the casing into the barrel. The bullet follows the lands and grooves spiraling out of the barrel.

What are the components of a cartridge?

Bullet, primer, propellent powders.

What is Rifling?

Makes projectile spin when fired

What is a Caliber?

Measure of its diameter.

What is Trajectory?

Two reference points are needed to define the trajectory.

What databases are available to ballistics investigators?

The National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN)

What is forgery and fraudulence?

Fraud refers to the willful deception of someone for the purpose of monetary gain. Forgery, on the other hand, is also a deception of another through imitating an object.

What is death?

Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism.

What are livor mortis?

Death Color. Blood begins to settle as soon as the heart stops. Pooling of blood = Lividity

What are rigor mortis?

Death stiffness Due to lack of o2 in muscles build up of lactic acid and calcium

What are algor mortis?

Death heat

What is Forensic anthropology?

Analyze skeletal remains to determine the identity of a victim as well as his/her life history, cause of death, or other clues about a crime.

What are the 5 manners of death? (Remember SHAUN)

Suicide, Homicide, Accidental, Undertermined, Natural

What is the Cause of death?

The reason someone dies

What is an autopsy?

Hospital will do an autopsy if family requests; medical examiner will investigate is foul play or suicide is suspected. No choice by the family.

Define psychological and physical dependence. What is withdrawal?

Physical dependence is considered tolerance and withdrawal. Psychological dependence is the dependence on the drugs or the substance of choice.

What is the difference between a controlled substance and an illegal substance? What is a drug?

Drugs that are subject to strict government control because they may cause addiction or be misused. Illegal drugs are drugs whose production, distribution, or use are either forbidden

What is anthropology?

Analyze skeletal remains to determine the identity of a victim as well as his/her life history, cause of death, or other clues about a crime.

What is Odontology?

The study of the anatomy and growth of teeth and diseases associated with the teeth and gums.

What are the steps in bite mark analysis?

Photograph the area with a ruler near the injury (in color and B&W).

What information can you obtain from a bite mark?

Fillings, caps, chips, and identification of individuals. Animal vs Human.

How can bite marks be individualized?

DNA testing can be used.