1. Human Remains Chapter 14
Forensic Science

2. Forensic Pathology
Forensic Pathology: Determination of the cause and manner of death in cases of suspicious or unexplained death
Coroner: elected by the people; doesn’t need a medical degree to perform autopsies
Medical Examiner: must be a physician
Autopsy: to determine cause and manner of death; must have family’s permission
Medicolegal Autopsy: family has no say; occurs for sudden, unexpected, violent or suspicious deaths

3. Cause and Manner of Death
Cause of Death: what killed the person (heart attack, car accident, gunshot, etc.)
Manner of Death: homicide, natural, suicide, accidental

4. Autopsy Procedure External Examination: Internal Examination:
Establish age, sex, race, height, weight
Examine body in detail: tattoos, birth marks, moles, scars, clothing, trace evidence, hair, eyes, teeth
Determine degree of rigor mortis and decomposition
Photograph body and take fingerprints
Note wounds and trauma
Internal Examination:
Remove clothing
Make Y incision
Collect samples of body fluids
Remove and examine organs
Trace outside wounds inwards
Remove bullets
Make microscope slides of body tissues
X-ray body

5. Patterns of Injury Mechanical: gunshots, stabbings, strangulation
Thermal: extreme heat (hyperthermia) or extreme cold (hypothermia)
Electrical: electrical currents
Chemical: drugs, alcohol, carbon monoxide, poisons
What are the patterns of injury?

6. PMI (Post Mortem Interval)
Algor Mortis:
Tendency of the body to cool after death
It takes about 17 hours for a body to cool from normal temp of 37°C to room temp of 20°C.
Livor Mortis:
Pooling of blood at lowest part of the body
Changes from reddish to greenish to brown
Rigor Mortis:
Degree of stiffening of the body
2-5 hours after death muscles contract
Rigor mortis disappears within hours

7. Anthropology and Odontology
Chapter 11
Anthropology and Odontology
Forensic Science
Northfield High School
Amy Urling

8. Forensic Anthropologists
Collect skeletal remains at crime scenes
Identify skeletal remains
Report and interpret any evidence of trauma or injury apparent on the bones
Construct facial features over a skull (using clay or computer images)

9. What Do Bones Tell Us About?
The age of an individual
Nutritional history
Health status
Prior Injuries
Patterns of muscle development

10. Functions of Bones Protect Internal organs
Provide anchors for muscle attachment
Facilitate muscle movement
Repository for minerals (such as calcium)

11. Human Skeleton

12. Human Skull A B D C G E F H I

13. Bone Structure

14. Compact Bone Structure

15. Anatomical Terms Anterior: in front of Posterior: in back of
Superior: above, closer to the head
Inferior: below, closer to the foot
Lateral: closer to the side
Medial: closer to the midline
Proximal: closer to the center of the body
Distal: further from the center of the body

16. Anatomical Term Practice
The skull is _________ to the pelvis
superior/inferior
The nasal bone is ________ to the occipital bone
anterior/posterior
The ulna is ________ to the sternum
proximal/distal
The clavicle is ________ to the vertebrae
lateral/medial