Laboratory Analysis sent by ME

Orders tests to determine cause or manner of death DNA testing Fingerprints & palm prints

Toxicology Detection of drugs, alcohol, poisons 1st Test - alcohol in blood - Gas chrom. to test concentration 2nd - Urine – barbiturates or other depressants – immunoassay = presumptive screening tool for specific chemical – if +, then, confirmatory test – GC-MS – get quantitative results

3rd – for tranquilizers, narcotics, antidepressants, etc. – GC 4th - urine for narcotics (= opium & opium-derived drugs), cocaine, methadone - immunoassay

Histology = study of tissues thinly sliced and stained Stains -   - eosin & hematoxylin - detect cancers   - crystal violet - detects bacterial infections (purple)

Neuropathology = study of disease and trauma associated with the nervous system (most often, brain) more than half of deaths for ME - neuro neuropathologist often determines cause of death studies diseased tissues and tumors

Serology = study of blood, semen, & other body fluids in reference to legal matters  sees if victim died from blood-borne pathogen infection  may help ID victim or perpetrator   ex. blood type (class characteristic)   ex. DNA profile (individual characteristic)