Prin Bio Med 1.2.1-1.2.3 Vocab

1. Morgue: a place where the bodies of dead persons are kept temporarily pending

identification or release for burial or autopsy

2. Autopsy: a postmortem evaluation to determine cause of death

3. Cause of death: the specific injury, trauma, or disease that directly caused the victim’s

death

4. Mechanism of death: what happens physiologically (inside the body) to result in death

5. Manner of death: the circumstances that result in death, which are designated as natural

or unnatural

6. System: a group of organs in a body that work together to perform a specific function

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7. Physiological time of death: time when the decedent’s vital functions actually ceased

8. Estimated time of death: time the medical examiner estimates that the death occurred

9. Legal time of death: time of death recorded on the death certificate; based on when the

body was found or physically pronounced dead

10. Algor mortis: change in body temperature after death

11. Rigor mortis: stiffening of joints and muscles after death

12. Livor mortis: pooling of the blood following death that causes a purplish red

discoloration of the skin

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13. Toxin: a naturally occurring poison produced by living organisms such as bacteria, fungi,

plants, insects, and algae

14. Toxicant: manufactured and extracted chemicals such as pesticides, cleaning agents,

industrial emissions or by-products, mining by-products, etc. that are in our environment

and produce adverse biological effects of any nature

15. Nutrient: a substance that the body needs to maintain life and health, such as proteins,

lipids, vitamins, and minerals

16. Molecule: a group of atoms held together by chemical bonds

17. Chemical reaction: a process where atoms and/or molecules are rearranged to transform

matter

18. Metabolism: the chemical reaction processes of breaking down molecules for energy and

of using simple building blocks to build up more complex molecules needed for growth

and repair

19. Forensic chemistry: a field of chemistry that tests non-biological samples, such as

powders, pills, and other substances, to identify or quantify them