Vocabulary
What is Adipocere?
A fatty or waxy substance produced during the decomposition of dead bodies exposed to moisture.
What is an Autopsy?
A medical examination to determine the cause of death
Explain the forensic importance of examining death, and the role of the coroner, medical examiner, and pathologist in death investigations.
-Examining Death: Crucial for determining the cause, mechanism, and manner of death
-Coroner:Confirms/certifies the death
-Medical Examiner: Performs autopsies and determines the cause/manner of death
-Pathologist:Applies their knowledge of pathology/forensic science to the investigation
What is Algor Mortis?
The cooling of the body after death
What is a Coroner?
An elected official, either a layman or a physician who certifies deaths and determines the cause/manner of death.
What is the Approximate Cause of Death?
The initial underlying injury/natural event that triggers an unbroken chain of events leading directly to fatality (heart attack, gunshot wound, or cancer)
Describe the examination of death in early history compared to today.
-Early history: Based off of religion, superstition, and had a lack of standardization
-Today: Based off of scientific methods and professional expertise
What is Autolysis?
The breakdown of cells as they self-digest
What is Cause of Death?
The injury, condition, or disease responsible for a person's death (such as heart attack or kidney failure)
What is a Petechial Hemorrhage?
Red spots that form in the eyes due to capillary vessels popping.
Discuss manner, cause, and mechanism of death, and how "death" itself is defined by experts.
-Manner of Death: One of five ways a person's death is classified
-Cause of Death: The injury, condition, or disease responsible for a person's death
-Mechanism of Death: The specific physiological, physical, or chemical event that directly results in fatality
-Death itself: The irreversible cessation of all bodily functions.
What is Manner of Death?
One of five ways a person's death is classified (natural, accident, suicidal, homicidal, or undetermined)
What is Mechanism of Death?
The specific physiological, physical, or chemical event that directly results in fatality
Explain the predictable sequence of changes that occur during the process of death, including algor, rigor, and livor mortis.
Algor Mortis: The cooling of the body after death
Livor Mortis: The pooling of blood in the lower parts of the body due to gravity
Rigor Mortis: The stiffening of muscles after death
What is a Medicolegal Death Investigator?
A trained professional who investigates the medical history, circumstances of unexpected, suspicious, and violent deaths.
What is a Medical Examiner?
A physician who does autopsies, determines the cause/manner of death, and oversees death investigations.
Describe the chemical and physical changes that occur during the stages of decomposition, and how they provide evidence in the examination of death
Decomposition involves Fresh, Bloat, Active Decay, and Advanced Decay stage. These stages are used to estimate the PMI or time since death in examinations.