Chapter 12: Death: Manner, Mechanism, Cause

Flashcards covering key vocabulary related to forensic science, death investigations, manners and causes of death, stages of decomposition, and autopsy procedures, derived from Chapter 12 of 'Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, 3rd Edition'.

Coroner

An elected or appointed official who may or may not be a physician, responsible for identifying bodies, notifying families, collecting personal items, and issuing death certificates.

Medical examiner

A medical doctor who oversees death investigations and performs autopsies.

Forensic pathologist

A medical doctor trained in other sciences (e.g., toxicology, firearms, ballistics) who performs autopsies for suspicious deaths and determines the presence of disease, injury, or poisoning.

Manner of death

The classification of how a person died, categorized as natural, accidental, suicide, homicide, or undetermined.

Natural death

A manner of death resulting from disease processes or old age.

Accidental death

A manner of death resulting from an unforeseen and unintentional event.

Suicide

A manner of death where a person intentionally takes their own life.

Homicide

A manner of death caused by another person.

Undetermined (manner of death)

A classification used when the manner of death cannot be clearly established.

Cause of death

The reason someone dies.

Proximate cause of death

The underlying cause of death.

Mechanism of death

The specific physiological derangement that leads to death, such as loss of blood after a shooting or cardiac arrest after a heart attack.

Autolysis

Also known as cell self-digestion, where cellular enzymes are released inside the cell to break down cell contents and rupture cell membranes after death.

Algor mortis

The cooling of the body following death, used in postmortem interval (PMI) estimates.

PMI (Postmortem Interval)

The estimated time since death, with algor mortis being most accurate for the first 24 hours.

Livor mortis (Lividity)

Causes 'death color' due to blood cells settling in the lowest areas of the body from gravity, resulting in a reddish-purple discoloration.

Fixed lividity

The state where lividity will not disappear if the skin is pressed, occurring permanently after 8 hours post-death.

Rigor mortis (Rigor)

Temporary 'death stiffness' usually apparent within 2 hours after death, resulting from a loss of oxygen and calcium buildup in muscles.

Cellular respiration

The initial oxygen-dependent process in cells that converts to anaerobic respiration after death.

Anaerobic respiration

Respiration without oxygen, which occurs in cells after death, producing less energy and leading to lactic acid buildup.

Lactic acid

A byproduct of anaerobic respiration that accumulates in cells after death, lowering the cellular pH.

Adipocere

A greasy wax formed from decomposing body fats, which can preserve soft tissue in moist conditions over months.

Putrefaction

The destruction of soft tissue due to bacterial activity, evident from gases, seepage from body openings, ruptured skin, and changes in body color.

Bloating (decomposition)

Abdominal swelling occurring several days after death as anaerobic bacteria consume tissues and release carbon dioxide and other gases.

Marbling (decomposition)

Skin discoloration resulting from protein decomposition, where sulfur compounds combine with hemoglobin, lending a brown color to veins.

Y-Shaped incision

A common incision made during an internal autopsy, extending from shoulder to shoulder, meeting at the breastbone, and continuing to the pubic bone.

Forensic Investigation Research Station (FIRS)

A research facility focusing on microbial succession and profiling/comparing microbes' DNA in decomposition studies.

Postmortem CT angiography (PMCTA)

A less invasive form of autopsy that uses CT scans to detect damage to bones and blood vessels.

Facial reconstruction

The process of using scanners to create a model of the skull to aid in identifying unknown deceased persons.

Parabon Snapshot®

A technology that pioneers DNA phenotyping, using DNA samples (SNPs) to predict physical appearance and ancestry.

DNA phenotyping

The process of using DNA samples (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms or SNPs) to predict a person's physical appearance and ancestry.

Forensic genealogy

The use of public DNA databases and genetic matching to locate relatives of an unknown deceased person for identification.

Petechial Hemorrhage

Small red spots caused by burst capillaries, often observed as a sign of strangulation.

Carbon monoxide poisoning

A cause of death often indicated by a distinct cherry-red skin color.

Jaundice

A yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes, which can be an indicator of alcoholism and liver issues during death investigations.