Midterm Flashcards
Forensic Science
The application of science to Law
Forensic Science deals with
Death, rape, forgeries, fraud, negligence, assault, kidnapping
Forensic Science does not solve
crime, investigators solve a crime (Witness, Interviews, Confession)
Expert Witness
The only witness, in a court case, that is allowed to give an opinion on their specialty
A coroner system was bought
to Philadelphia by William Penn
Coroner (blank) vs. Medical Examiner (blank)
Elected, Appointed
Medical Examiner
Position to be held by Licensed Physician in that State
All jail deaths must
be reported
Trace Evidence
identifies and compares specific types of trace materials that could be transferred during the commission of a violent crime. These trace materials include human hair, animal hair, textile fibers and fabric, rope, soil, glass, and building materials.
Trace Evidence depends on the
state/community
Often one person collecting trace evidence to ensure
consistency of labeling
Depends on the person getting evidence
doesn’t matter if you have the best lab in the world you have to find the evidence
All hairs are composed primarily
of the protein keratin
A hair is composed of three
distinct layer cuticle, cortex, and medulla
Anagen
the initial phase may last up to 6 years, the root is flame-shaped, the hair is actively growing, and materials are deposited in the hair shaft by cells found in the follicle
Catagen
transition phase (2-3 weeks), the root is elongated
Telogen
the phase where the hair naturally falls out of the skin, the root is club-shaped
Hair color is provided by
pigments produced by cells called melanocytes. The pigments are called melanin
Medullary index
The measure of the diameter of the medulla relative to the diameter of the hair shaft
The Medullary index is usually
expresses as a fraction
Humans Medullary index
< 1/3
Animals Medullary index
> ½
Women commit suicide…
2x more often than men
Wool is what time of hair?
animal hair
Animal fiber is most frequently used in the production of textile materials…
is wool, and the most common wool fibers originate from sheep
Man-made fibers are
manufactured specific
Friction ridges are found
on the skin of the palm of hands, palmar aspects of fingers, soles of feet, and solar aspect of toes
3 basic fingerprint patterns:
Loops, Whorls, Arches
Anabolic steroids induce
weight gain and increased muscle mass
Steroids reduce the production of inflammatory
chemicals in order to minimize tissue damage
Steroids also reduce the activity of the
immune system by affecting the function of white blood cells
The flowering tops of the Cannabis plant secrete
a sticky resin that contains the active ingredient of marijuana, known as THC
Crack is usually made by mixing:
two parts of cocaine hydrochloride, with one part baking soda, in about 20 ml of water, the solution if then heated gently until white precipitates form, heating is halted when precipitation stops, the precipitate is filtered and retained, the precipitate may then be washed
Cocaine hydrochloride is
very stable. It binds closely to the ink in paper currency. Hence most Americans handle cocaine every day of their lives
MDMA is a synthetic
psychoactive drug with both stimulant and hallucinogenic properties
Neurotoxic
A substance that alters the structure or function of the nervous system.
L.S.D is manufactured from
lysergic acid which is found in ergot a fungus that grows
A phencyclidine derivative is arguably
our most ideal anesthetic agent
Phencyclidine produced an unacceptably high incidence
of hallucinations, confusion, and delirium, so its development for use
K hole
dreamy feeling: floating outside the body, trance-like state, sometimes described as a Near Death Experience
Rohypnol has physiological effects similar to
diazepam approximately 10 times more potent
