Forensics Unit 5 Vocab 1

Presumptive test

shows that blood may be present, but there could be a false positive

Hemoglobin

oxygen carrier that gives red blood cells their color

Luminol

very sensitive chemical indicator for dried or washed blood. It will cause chemiluminescence

Chemiluminescence

the emission of light (glowing) from a chemical reaction

Precipitin test

distinguish between human and animal blood

Serum

a liquid that separates from clotted blood

Antibodies

proteins in the blood or secretory fluids that tag, destroy, or neutralize bacteria, viruses, or other harmful toxins, producing an immune response

Antigens

foreign substances in the body that are capable of causing disease

Agglutination

an allergic reaction where red blood cells clump together, usually in response to a particular antibody

Serology

study of bodily fluids

Plasma

The fluid part of blood

Erythrocyte

red cells that contain hemoglobin

Leukocyte

white cells that produce antibodies

Blood factor

a specific combination of antigens, enzymes, and proteins in the blood

Secretor

people whose antigens are found in bodily fluids other than blood

Angle of impact

the acute angle formed between the direction of blood drop and the plane of a surface it strikes

Arterial spurting

blood stain pattern resulting from blood exiting the body under pressure from a breached artery

Blood spatter analysis

a field of forensic science that deals with the physical properties of blood and the patterns produced under different conditions as a result of various forces applied to the source of blood

Cast-off pattern

bloodstain pattern created when blood is released

or thrown from a moving blood-bearing object