Serology Intro (Exam I) Flashcards
Serology, Role of Serology in Forensics
What is serology?
Scientific study of serum and other body fluids
What does the medical science/clinical aspect of serology focus on?
Blood serum and its immunological reactions & properties
What two aspects does forensic serology focus on?
Identification and characterization
How does forensic serology differ from clinical serology?
You are determining if a substance is blood in forensic serology
What is the universal principle/ethic of working as a forensic scientist?
To supply objective and accurate info that reflects the event
What is a match?
An inclusive result
What does “no match” mean?
Exclusive result
What is an inconclusive result?
A match where the results fall below the lab policy’s threshold
After obtaining the results from analyzed evidence, what comes next?
Draw conclusions
Who proves innocence or guilt?
The court
How does the court view the crime lab?
As the right arm of the prosecutor’s office
How does the crime lab examine innocence and guilt?
We don’t. We just run evidence, get results, and draw conclusions
What question does forensic serology answer about a crime scene (HINT: one word)?
Who?
What 2 main pieces of biological evidence determine the “who?” of a crime scene?
DNA and fingerprints
What limit does DNA evidence have that gives fingerprinting an edge over it?
DNA is limited because identical twins share DNA but can be differentiated by their fingerprints
