Forensic Path

Question 0

What is algor mortis?

Answer 0

Post mortem cooling of the body

Question 1

Who must issue the death certificate if the manner of death is anything other than natural?

Answer 1

Coroner/Medical Examiner

Question 2

What is rigor mortis?

Answer 2

Gradual stiffening of the muscles after death, maximal around 6-16 hrs and regresses around 36 hours.

Question 3

What is livor mortis?

Answer 3

Hypostasis and settling of blood into dependent portions of the body creating color tones on the skin of the body.

Question 4

What are the two types of decomposition?

Answer 4

1. Autolysis: hydrolytic lysosomal enzymes break down body

2. Putrefaction: internal bacterial degredation and external maggots, insects, animals degrading the body

Question 5

What is anthropophagy?

Answer 5

Eating of human flesh, occurs when maggots, insects and animals eat human flesh during decomposition.

Question 6

What is adipocere?

Answer 6

Anaerobic bacterial hydrolysis of adipose tissue in corpses.

Question 7

List the 3 early post mortem changes and the 3 late post mortem changes.

Answer 7

Early: Algor mortis, rigor mortis, livor mortis

Late: decomposition, mummification, adipocere

Question 8

What is the difference between an incisional wound and a laceration?

Answer 8

Incision: wound is made by a cut and has clean margins.

Laceration: wound is made by blunt force strong enough to break the skin and doesn’t have clean margins.

Question 9

With suicides:

• how many wounds are found?
• where are the wounds?
• are there defense wounds?
• are there hesitation wounds?

Answer 9

• one wound w/ deep penetration
• located in throat, neck, wrists, chest
• no defense wounds
• some hesitation wounds

Question 10

What is the most common cause of pulmonary lacerations?

Answer 10

Penetration from sharp edges of broken ribs after blunt force trauma to the rib cage.

Question 11

What type of injury most commonly causes aortic transection?

Answer 11

Blunt force trauma

aorta is only secure at the ligamentum arteriosum and diaphragm making it easy to rupture along its long path

Question 12

Which lobe of the liver is most commonly injured in blunt force trauma?

Answer 12

Right Lobe

Question 13

What is suffocation?

Answer 13

Asphyxia without compression of the neck.

loss of oxygen, interference with oxygen utilization, compression of the chest

Question 14

What is strangulation?

Answer 14

Asphyxia due to compression of the neck.

Question 15

What are 4 characteristics for hanging strangulation?

Answer 15

1. Petechial Hemorrhage
2. Ascending Furrow
3. Knot imprint
4. Purple Color

Question 16

What percentage of lightning and electrical deaths show evidence of electrical burn?

Answer 16

50%