forensic science cosmp study (copy)

Pathology

The study of disease

Anatomic pathology

science of analyzing tissue structure

autopsy

examination of the body after death

Cytopathology

examination of an INDIVIDUAL CELL (subspecialty of anatomic pathology)

Clinical pathology

Analysis and interpretation of the BODY FLUID

Microbiology

testing materials to determine what infected the patient

Hematopathology

focus on the diagnosis of DISEASES OF THE BLOOD and blood-forming organs

Neuropathologist

pathologist who specialized in DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM

Dermatopathology

disease of SKIM

Forensic pathology

examination of dead people

coroner

an official responsible for investigating a death that is not the result of natural causes

Hospital pathologist

NEEDS permission to perform autopsy; bodies are usually naked

Forensic pathologist

DOES NOT NEED permission to perform autopsy

clinical forensic medicine

pathologist who exam cases of assault on people who had survived the attack

Postmortem interval

Time of death

Algor mortis

cooling of the body
-normal body temp is 37 C or 98.6 F
-the body maintains its original temp for 1 - 3 hours
-then it starts to cool 1 degree (C) per hour

Livor Mortis

discoloration of the body
-postmortem lividity
-after 10-12 hours, the lividity is fixed, if the body was moved before it was fixed, then a second lividity would form
-colors of lividity are blue or purple

Postmortem lividity

the settling of blood in the body after death

Red lividity

exposure to cole, CO, or cyanide poisoning

Brown lividity

nitrate

Green lividity

decomposition

Rigor mortis

Stiffening of the body
-20 mins after death, jaw began to stiffen
-6-12 hours after death, fingers, arms, and legs began to stiffen
-12-24 hours, rigor mortis disappear the same order it appeared

Cadaveric spasm

the muscle contract forcibly at the moment of death

autolysis

the break down of organ and tissue; decomposition affect internal organs

marbling

greenish discoloration around the umbilicus (belly button)

mummification

skin shrinks and dries
black, leathery appearance

If a body is found in water

fats turn into adipocere (waxy soap like materials)

wet floaters

recovered from watery environments

dry floaters

land environment

mascerated

decomposition of a fetus that died in the mother's uterus

skeletonization

end result of decomposition

presumptive identification

identification of a deceased person based on the basis of items found on the body (passport..)

MOD: natural

medical problem (stroke...)

MOD: accident

unexpected fatal event

MOD: suicide

an intention of taking one's own life

MOD: homicide

intentional killing by another person

MOD: undetermined

cannot be explained

Proximate cause of death

the initial incident leading to an individual's death
(car(proximate cause of death)-\>coma(immediate cause of death)-\>dies)

Inframmatory incision

"Y" shaped (men)
starting from each shoulders, meet at the center of the chest, then down to the pubic area

"T" shaped incision

women
starting beneath each breasts, meet at the chest, then down to the pubic area

Arterisclerosis

hardening of the arteries hat impedes the free flow of blood

Lumen

the space within the blood vessel where the blood flows

Myocardial infraction

damage to the heart muscle due to a lack of blood from the coronary artery

Incision of the head

incisions are made behind each ears and extended around the back of the head under the hairline

meninges

the covering of the brain inside the skull

epidural hemorrhage

bleeding/trauma between the dura matter and the skull

subdural hemorrhage

blood lies below the dura matter

Provisional anatomic diagnoses

a list of autopsy findings found by the forensic pathologist

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

unexplained death that occurs without warning in infants which autopsy results are invariably negative

Battered Child Syndrome

The collection of physical injuries, typically sustained by a child subjected to abuse

Elder abuse

abuse elders...(duh)

neglect

failure to provide levels of care required to meet a dependent person's need (dehydration..)

Munchausen syndrome

a person fakes the symptoms of a serious illness with the intention of gaining the attention and sympathy of others

Munchausen syndrome by proxy

a person causes symptoms of a serious illness in someone else (child) to gain the attention and sympathy of others

Infanticide

the killing of a baby

Congenital defect

A defect/disease present at the time of birth

Failure to thrive

a condition in which a baby does not grow normally

Cold Case

a case that has not yet been solved

Exhume

to remove a body from grave to perform an autopsy examination

Veterinary pathologist

who perform autopsies on animals

Pulmonary embolism

A blood clot that arises in some other blood vessel that travels back through the heart and into the pulmonary artery, blocking it completely

arteries

blood vessels that carries blood away from the heart

Aneurysms

a weakening of the wall of an artery

Foramen magnum

the large hole at the base of the skull where the base of the brain continues as the spiral cord

Dissecting aortic aneurysm

the wall of the artery splits and then blood finds an alternate path

Asphyxia

a lack of oxygen in the body that results from an interruption of breathing
one of the causes of anoxia

anoxia

absence of oxygen

smothering

mechanical obstruction of the upper airway by an object covering the mouth and nose

Strangulation

outside of the neck is constricted

drowning

cause asphyxia

Immersion charges

wrinkled hands, characteristic of drowning

hemolysis

if drowned in fresh water, red blood cells would break down

Blunt-force trauma

a non-penetrating injury that results from force applied to the body

laceration

surface abrasion

Greenstick variety

only a crack and no separation of the parts

Comminuted fracture

separation of bones and splintering of the edges

Compound fracture

bone break through skin

Avulsion

teas flesh from the bone

Traumatic amputation

extremities is torn from the body

Pneumothorax

presence of air in the chest cavity

hemothorax

blood fills the chest cavity

hemopheumothorax

combo of air and blood fills the chest cavity

Defense wound

one or more cuts found on arms or hands

Hesitation wound

superficial cuts on wrist or neck

arson

the setting of fire to destroy property. If arson leads to death, then it's a homicide

Tree-like burn pattern

lightening strike

electrocution

an entrance and exit site

Direct examination

Pathologist would explain the medical findings first

Cross-examination

defense attorney gets to question everything the pathologist said

Redirect

the district attorney will correct any misconception

Victor Balthazard

-probability models
-advanced photographic method

Alphonse Bertillon

-First systematic methods for the identification of suspects
-Anthropometry (11 traits card)
-dislike finger print, but was the first one who used it to solve a case

Sir Francis Galton

-First classification system for fingerprints

Dr. Calvin Goddard

-established scientific examination of firearms evidence

Hans Gross

-coining the term criminalistics to describe forensic analysis of physical evidence

Sherlock Holmes

fictional

Contrite fallibilism

an awareness of how much we do not know and then humility to acknowledge the possibility of making mistake

Accreditation

a laboratory had agreed to operate according to a professional or industry standard and had proved it does operate this way

Certification

a forensic scientist passed a test

Primary Crime Scene

original or first criminal activity