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Forensics > 2 > Flashcards

2 Flashcards

1
Q

What is friction ridge skin?

A

consists of raised ridges and depressed furrows on the palmar surface of the hands and plantar surface of the feet.

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2
Q

What is the purpose of friction ridge skin?

A

allows you to hold and grasp objects with your hands.

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3
Q

Where on the body do you find friction ridge skin?

A

Hand (palmar surface) and feet (plantar surface)

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4
Q

What is a latent print ?

A

Sweat that is exuded from the body

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5
Q

What is a patent print?

A

has been deposited on an object in a foreign substance, such as blood, grease, or paint

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6
Q

What is a plastic print?

A

has been embedded into a substance like candle wax or clay

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7
Q

What type of print (latent, patent, or plastic) is the most commonly encountered in a crime scene?

A

Latent

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8
Q

Permanence + Uniqueness = ______________________________. What does this statement mean?

A

Individualization-fingerprints are unique, not even on identical twins.

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9
Q

How many characteristics (Galton details) do you need to make an identification when analyzing a print?

A

ending ridge, bifurcation, enclosure, dot

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10
Q

Do identical twins have the same fingerprints? Why or why not?

A

No, based on ridge arrangement and spatial relationship

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11
Q

How are friction ridge examinations conducted?

A

Visual:
-alternate light sources
Processing techniques:
◦ Porous vs. non-porous
◦ Special circumstances – adhesive side of tape
Preservation:
-Photography and digital imaging
-Lifting

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12
Q

What are the three types of fingerprint patterns? How often are they observed?
Be able to identify pattern types in images of prints.

A

Arch-5% Loop-65% Whorl-30%

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13
Q

What is ACE-V methodology? What does ACE-V stand for?

A

A-Analyze
-1st,latent prints
-2nd, known exemplars
C-Comparison
-Of latent prints to known exemplars
E-Evaluation
-determination if both are from the same source
V-Verification
-by a second examiner, independently

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14
Q

Describe the three levels of analysis involved in friction ridge examination

A

1-Ridge Flow:core, delta, scars, classification, and orientation
2-Ridge Path:Galton characteristics(ending ridge,bifurcation,enclosure,dot)
-location, type, direction, and relationship
3-Ridge Attributes:edge shape, end shape, ridge width, and pores

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15
Q

What are the 3 conclusions that can be reached in a friction ridge examination?

A

Exclusion, individualization, inconclusive

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16
Q

What is verification in friction ridge analysis? What prints must be verified?

A

Verification is the independent examination by another qualified
examiner.
All individualizations (identifications) must be verified.

Exclusion or inconclusive results may be verified.

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17
Q

What are the job duties of a firearms examiner?

A

scientists within a criminal laboratory.
preservation and collection of evidence, microscopic examination,
chemical processing, chemical restorative techniques, and technical evaluation and interpretation of evidence in a court of law

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18
Q

What is the definition of a firearm?

A

device which projects either
single or multiple projectiles at high
velocity through a controlled explosion

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19
Q

What are the four types of firearms discussed in class?

A

Shotgun, rifle, pistol, revolver

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20
Q

Define firearms analysis

A

The identification of fired bullets, cartridge cases or
other ammunition components as having been fired from or in a specific firearm

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21
Q

What holds all of the components of a live round of ammunition? List these components.

A

Cartridge case-projectile, propellant,primer

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22
Q

How does a firearm function (how does it fire a bullet/what is the firing sequence)?

A

Firing pin strikes primer, primer ignites-Propellant (powder) is ignited by primer flame-Burning powder forms gases, as gases
expand, projectile is launched

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23
Q

What is rifling? What is its purpose?

A

spiral grooves cut into the bore of a barrel. This stabilizes a bullet in flight, Improves trajectory, Caters to higher velocity

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24
Q

What types of characteristics are used for inclusions and exclusions? What about for identifications?

A

Class characteristics. Individual characteristics

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25
Q

What characteristics are examined on a cartridge case? On a bullet?
Which are class characteristics and which are individual characteristics?

A

Each barrel and fired bullet has four class characteristics
(GRC: general rifling characteristics)
1. Caliber (nominal bore diameter in inches: .22, .45)
2. Number of lands or grooves
3. Direction of twist
4. Width of the lands and grooves

Common Individual C haracteristics
1. Firing pin impressions on a fired cartridge case
2. Breechface marks on a fired cartridge case
3. Microscopic striations on a fired bullet
4. Chamber Marks on the side walls of a fired cartridge case

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26
Q

What instrument is used to make comparisons in firearms analysis?

A

Comparison microscope

27
Q

In what type of crime are tools often used? What are some common tools used in this type of crime?

A

Where forced entry is involved. Screwdrivers, pry bars, hammers, and bolt cutters

28
Q

What are the two types of toolmarks? Be able to recognize these.

A

Striations and impressed

29
Q

What are the three conclusions in firearm and toolmark examinations?

A

IDENTIFICATION
ELIMINATION
INCONCLUSIVE

30
Q

What are the subdisciplines in forensic chemistry?

A

General Chemistry, Toxicology, Paints,
Polymers & Tapes, Metallurgy, Explosives, Accelerants,
Gunshot Primer Residue

31
Q

What types of substances does the general chemistry unit analyze?

A

Chemically classify/identify powders, liquids, and stains.

-Bank Security Chemicals
◦ Drugs & Drug Residues
◦ Pharmaceuticals
◦ Inks and Dyes
◦ Self-Defense Sprays
◦ Lubricants & Petroleum Products
◦ Gunshot Primer Residue
-Unknown Substances

32
Q

Bank security devices are analyzed by the general chemistry unit and contain 2 chemical components. What are they?

A

1-Methylaminoanthraquinone (MAAQ) – unique red dye
➢ Orthochlorobenzalmalononitrile (CS Tear Gas)

33
Q

How do they determine which federal agency (FBI or DEA) analyzes drug
evidence in an investigation?

A

DEA is drug related offenses

34
Q

What is a presumptive test?

A

test for alkaloids and opiates. The resulting color gives an
indication of the possible substance

35
Q

What presumptive test was discussed in class for use with drugs? How does it work?

A

Confirmatory test is a two-step process:
Gas Chromatography (GC) followed by
Mass Spectrometry

36
Q

Following a presumptive test, a confirmatory test is conducted. Most often this is done in forensic chemistry using which two pieces of instrumentation?

A

Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry

37
Q

What instrument is used in the analysis of inks and dyes?

A

microspectrophotometry

38
Q

What agency maintains the ink database?

A

US Secret Service Differentiation

39
Q

What types of cases are these often associated with the analysis of lubricants and petroleum products?

A

Comparison of ink used in
handwriting to that of a
suspected pen

40
Q

What does GSR stand for? How long after a shooting is GSR analysis still
reliable? Why is there a time limit for analysis?

A

Gun Shot Residue-4hrs post shooting -When a firearm is discharged,
persons within the immediate vicinity may be exposed to
unburned primer residues.

41
Q

What fraction of substances analyzed by the chemistry unit are general
unknowns?

A

1/3

42
Q

What characteristics are analyzed in the examination of paint and tape? What conclusions can be formed in paint/tape examinations?

A

visual and microscopic observations, physical measurements, and
instrumental analyses.

43
Q

What is the only way to make an identification through the analysis of tape?

A
44
Q

What is forensic toxicology?

A
  • chemical analysis of body fluids and
    tissues to determine if a drug or poison is present
45
Q

Who was Matthew Orfila? What were his contributions to the field of forensic toxicology?

A

Chairman of the Legal Medicine
Department at the Sorbonne
• Made the first attempt to
systematically study and categorize
poisons
• Published the Traite des Poisons ou
Toxicologie Generale
• Established 6 classes of poisons
based on effects
• First to note that the absorption of a
poison is required for it to be
effective

46
Q

What does the toxicology unit do?

A

Routinely provides qualitative
and quantitative analyses of
biological fluids and tissues for
drugs, drug metabolites, and
poisonous chemicals

47
Q

What types of post-mortem samples may be analyzed by a toxicologist?

A

blood, urine, liver
or vitreous humour.

48
Q

What are the reasons people poison?

A

Revenge
Financial Gain
Spousal Disposal
Terrorism
Accidental

49
Q

Cyanide poisoning may be misdiagnosed as what other medical conditions?

A

Heart attack
Acute asthma

50
Q

Cyanide poisoning may be identified by what unique characteristic?

A

Odor

51
Q

What is thallium? What common household item contains thallium?

A

One of the most toxic of all
metals
• Byproduct of iron, cadmium,
and zinc refining
• Was a common household
pesticide and rodenticide, but
was later banned from
residential use

52
Q

What is ricin? What administration/absorption methods are lethal for ricin?

A

toxin extracted from the seeds of the castor bean plant

Administration/Absorption:
• Dermal: not very dangerous; too large; mainly results
in allergic reactions
• Oral: poorly absorbed from GI tract; enzymatically
digested; still dangerous
• Injection: very lethal
• Inhalation:also dangerous, may result in pneumonia and edema of lungs

53
Q

How are blood alcohol tests administered? What is the legal limit for blood
alcohol?

A

May be a breath test or a blood/urine test

.08

54
Q

What is the definition of forensic entomology?

A

Based on the analysis of insects and other invertebrates

55
Q

What is carrion?

A

Seasonality, micro habitat, decay stage

56
Q

What attracts the initial wave of necrophagous insects?

A

ODORS OF PUTRIFACTION
ATTRACT THE INITIAL WAVE

57
Q

Why are adult flies attracted to carrion?

A

PROTEIN RICH LIQUIDS (EGG MATURATION)
HABITAT IN WHICH TO REAR THEIR YOUNG (LARVAE)

58
Q

Where does oviposition (egg laying) occur?

A

OVIPOSITION (EGG LAYING) OCCURS
IN NATURAL BODY OPENINGS AND AT WOUND SITES

59
Q

What hatches out of fly eggs?

A

Larvae/larval

60
Q

Maggot masses rapidly consume all available ____________________________.

A

Soft tissues

61
Q

Forensic entomologists actually estimate the _____________________________.

A

Time since death

62
Q

Do insects other than flies/maggots colonize a decomposing body? What are some examples?

A

Moths, mites, and beetles

63
Q

Can you detect poisons, drugs, and toxins in insects that have inhabited a
decomposing body?

A

Yes

Forensics (4 decks)

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