Forensics Final Exam Study Guide

Which body organ metabolizes alcohol?

liver

What is the RFLP process for DNA analysis?

differentiating

A stimulant is a drug that what?

increases energy levels

Toxicity is determined by what?

dosage, how it enters the body, the chemical form of the substance, body weight of the victim

What is NOT an advantage of using STR instead of RFLP?

it can be put into CODIS and RFLP can’t

What kind of evidence will have the most probative value?

fingerprint

Which crime unit would analyze soil?

physical science

PCR is a technique that scientists use to do what?

generate more copies of DNA when only a small amount is available

A crime scene is what?

anywhere that evidence can be located

Polymerase is a what?

enzyme

Which of the following are narcotics?

ecstasy

A secretor is someone who what?

someone whose antigens are found in bodily fluids

Which of the following is NOT true about mitochondrial DNA?

it is less sensitive technique than nuclear

How should evidence from a suspected arson be packaged?

in an airtight container to prevent possible evaporation of fumes

Evidence is admissible if it what?

addresses an issue, is relevant, is reliable

What technique allows molecules to be identified by breaking them apart and then measuring the quantity of the different pieces?

mass spectromany

The blood alcohol content can be determined by a breath test because why?

about 5% of the alcohol leaves the body unchanged in the breath, perspiration and urine

What is a hallucinogen drug?

a drug that changes normal thought processes, perceptions, and moods

Which of these is a whorl?

central pocket, double loop, accidental

What amendment guarantees your right against self-incrimination?

5th

What is the scientific basis of the breath test instruments?

Henry’s law

Which of the following is NOT true concerning taking photographs at a crime scene?

they must always be taken with a film camera

What is NOT admissible in the court of law?

lie detectors

Under what schedule do drugs have no currently accepted medical use?

I

What authorities are included under Administrative Law?

IRS, CCS, and military

What are DNA base pairs held together by?

hydrogen bonds and sugar phosphate

How should blood evidence at a crime scene be packaged?

it must be packaged to prevent mold or mildew

What is considered individual evidence?

DNA

What is the legal limit of blood alcohol for adults over 21?

0.08%

Bleeding out would be what category of death?

mechanism

What can poisoning by lead cause?

brain damage

What are violations of civil law punishable by?

fines

What is chronic exposure to toxins?

occurs over a long period of time

What is the database that stores DNA profiles?

CODIS

What are fingerprints mainly composed of?

water

How should glass evidence from a crime scene be packaged?

in a rigid container to prevent cuts

If a forensic scientist can piece together broken pieces of glass from a bottle that was used as a weapon, it has what?

individual characteristics

What is another term for a ridge characteristic?

minutia

A “tail” begins to form on blood stains at what angle?

30 degrees

What does a developed fingerprint depend on?

the surface its on

What is a plea bargain?

when a defendant pleads guilty and prosecutors reduce charges

The effectiveness of an expert’s testimony is almost always dependent on what?

the experience of the expert, the educational background of the expert, and the ability of the expert to talk in a clear, concise language

What does a bright red lividity indicate?

carbon monoxide poisoning

What kind of cases do forensic scientists examine specific evidence for?

criminal and civil cases

At what angle would a blood droplet be perfectly round?

90 degrees

What is NOT true about a preliminary hearing?

there is a jury

T always pairs with which protein?

A

What is the FBI’s database for storing fingerprints?

IAFIS

What does NOT influence eye witness testimony?

whether or not the offender has previous convictions

What is the reliability of eye witness account affected by?

type of crime, interviewing technique, time between crime and interview

What is the name for the body of the crime?

corpus delicti

Over the counter drugs such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, acetylsalicylic acid and naproxen are considered what?

analgesics

What is the process of making many copies of DNA called?

amplification

Who can a person with AB blood type give to?

AB

When must a fingerprint at a crime scene be developed?

may last for years

Where are chromosomes found?

nucleus

Which agencies maintain their own crime lab?

DEA, ATF, FBI

Where is the Mitochondria inherited from?

mother

What is the purpose of class evidence?

can exonerate innocent suspects

What should record logs be kept of?

photos, evidence, chain of custody

Evidence from a crime scene that can be used for DNA typing includes what?

saliva, hair follicles, semen, vaginal secretions

Known or control samples should come from what?

the crime scene, the victim, a known suspect

What would be the best way of visualizing a print found on a glass bottle?

either dusting and lifting or superglue

What blood type contains no A or B antibodies?

AB

In addition to videotape, crime scene sketches what?

add detail, contain a key or legend, and show scale and placement of evidence

What is a loop that opens towards the thumb called?

radial

A person without A or B antigens on their red blood cells has what blood type?

O

What is NOT a presumptive test for blood?

marquis

What is criminal law sometimes referred as?

public law

What is the term for supplying proof or evidence?

probative

Which amendment protects against unreasonable search and seizure?

4th amendment

The injury or disease that results in a person’s death is the what?

degree

What crime unit analyzes blood stains?

biology

Where can ridge characteristics be found?

finger, foot, palms

Humans have how many body and sex chromosomes?

22 pairs of body and 1 pair of sex

What is the procedure that separates DNA fragments according to size?

electrophoresis

What is a form of documentation at a crime scene?

photography

What is evidence?

the available body of facts indicating whether a belief is valid

Who can a person with O blood give to?

A, B, AB

What is the characteristic ways that a criminal goes about a crime?

modus operandi

Why is it important to maintain chain of custody?

because the evidence could be rejected by the court if its not

In the U.S., what is the percentage of traffic deaths that are alcohol related?

30

What is the first step an officer takes when approaching the crime scene?

to assess the scene and check the body

To test whether a suspected blood stain is human or animal, what test could the investigator use?

percipiten test

C always pairs with which protein?

G

To test whether or not a suspected stain is blood, what could an investigator use?

kastle meyer

What is found in an arch pattern?

minutiae

What is blood typing considered as?

class evidence

For a suspect to be acutely toxic, what must it have?

it must have occurred almost immediately

What is the clumping of red blood cells called?

agglutination

Where is the DNA from nucleated cells inherited from?

mother and father

A burnt almond odor coming from a body at the morgue would indicate what kind of poisoning?

cyanide

A person with A antigens would have what kind of blood type?

A

What is the most common type of fingerprint pattern?

retention loop

A technique that separates the components of a mixture is what?

chromatography

If evidence has individual characteristics what can it do?

link a suspect to a crime, has probative value, and can exonerate innocent suspects

What would be considered the job of a forensic scientist?

provide expert testimony, train or oversee others in collecting evidence at a crime scene, examine evidence at a crime scene

The right to remain silent and the right to an attorney is in which rights?

miranda rights

What is NOT true concerning evidence collection?

it should always be done by one person

What does the direction of blood travel determined by?

shape of the blood drop