Ch. 12: Death: Manner, Mechanism, Cause Flashcards
Cooling of the body after death
Algor mortis
The breakdown of cells as they self-digest
Autolysis
Medical examination to determine the cause of death
Autopsy
The injury or condition responsible for a person’s death
Cause of death
An elected official, either a layman or physician, who certifies deaths and can order additional investigations of suspicious deaths
Coroner
The breakdown of once-living matter by living organisms
Decomposition
The pooling of the blood in tissues after death that results in a red skin color
Livor mortis
One of five ways in which a person’s death is classified (natural, accidental, suicidal, homicidal, or undetermined)
Manner of death
The specific physiological, physical, or chemical event that stops life
Mechanism of death
A physician who performs autopsies, determines the cause and manner of death, and oversees death investigations
Medical examiner
Destruction of soft tissue by bacteria that results in the release of waste gases and fluids
Putrefaction
The stiffening of the skeletal muscles after death
Rigor mortis
