1.2.1 QUIZ
Postmortem Terms
Autopsy: A postmortem evaluation to determine the cause of death.
Morgue: A place where the bodies of dead persons are kept temporarily pending identification or release for burial or autopsy.
Brain Exam: Brain is checked for signs of injury, removed from skull, weighed and examined.
External Exam and Identification: Description of the body (hair color, eye color, sex, etc.) is recorded and measured + weighed. External injury is noted.
Internal Exam: A “Y-incision” is made. Organs examined.
Tools: Saws, scissors, needles + other tools are available to complete internal examination and autopsy.
Documentation: Photos taken to document injury, identification features, and state of decomposition. Sample collection: Samples of blood, urine, and tissue are collected and then sent to additional testing to help determine identity &/or cause of death.
Stomach Contents: These are examined. The identity and degree of digestion of foods, pills, and other items are determined. This may help find the time of death.
Terminology: How did they Die?
Cause of Death: The specific injury, trauma, or disease that directly caused the victim’s death.
Mechanism of Death: What happens inside the body, or physiologically, to result in death.
Manner of Death: Circumstances that result in death, designated as natural or unnatural.
Examples of Terminology
A gunshot wound is an example of the cause of death.
Homicide is an example of the manner of death.
Extreme blood loss, also known as exsanguination, is an example of the mechanism of death.
Career Connections: Medical Examiner
A medical examiner: a physician who performs an autopsy when death might have been caused accidentally or intentionally. In some jurisdictions, the Medical Examiner may also serve as the coroner, someone who performs autopsies.
Human Body Systems
The organs in the human body are classified into systems.
Systems: A group of organs in a body that work together to perform a specific function.
Digestive: Breaks down food into its nutrients molecules; absorbs nutrients; rids the body of waste.
Circulatory: Pumps blood around body; transports oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, and waste.
Respiratory: Assists with gas exchange with the external environment; keeps blood supplied with oxygen and removes carbon dioxide.
Nervous: Responds to internal and external changes by acting an appropriate response; processes information.
Lymphatic + Immune: filter fluid in the body; mounts the attack against foreign substances in the body.
Excretory: eliminates waste from the body; regulates water balance of the blood.
Reproductive: To produce, transport, and sustain sperm and egg; to nurture the developing offspring.
Integumentary: Forms the body’s external covering; protects deeper tissue from injury; helps regulate body temperature.
Endocrine: Secretes hormones that regulate processes such as growth, reproduction, and metabolism by body cells.
Skeletal: Protects and supports body organs; provides a framework the muscles use to cause movement; stores minerals
Muscular: Moves the body and moves substances around the body; maintain posture; produce heat.
Key Structures
The kidney, bladder, ureter, and urethra assist in the excretory system.
Hair, skin, and nails form the integumentary system.
The lymphatic system is made of lymph nodes, spleen, thymus, bone marrow.
The circulatory system comprises the heart and blood vessels (veins, arteries and capillaries).
The respiratory system comprises the nasal cavity, trachea, lungs, and bronchus.
The brain, spinal cord, sensory receptors, and nerves comprise the nervous system.
The testis, adrenal gland, pituitary gland, and ovaries make up the reproductive system.
Skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscles comprise the muscular system.
The digestive system forms the oral cavity, esophagus, small intestine, large intestine, and stomach.
Bones and joints make up the skeletal system.
The vagina, ovaries, uterus, penis, testes, and prostate make up the reproductive system.