Spring Final Exam Review

What is the definition of Forensic Science?

Forensic science is the application of science to criminal and civil laws

Explain the Locard Principle.

The locard principle states that every object that comes into contact with another object will exchange evidence. (I.E. Two cars in an

accident will exchange paint samples)

What were the results of the Frye case?

The results of the frye case were that physical evidence would be admissible in

court if it was valid through “general acceptance” by the scientific community.

What is the difference between a coroner and medical examiner?

A medical examiner is a licensed doctor. A coroner is an elected official

Where was the first crime lab in the world?

LYON, FRANCE a town just outside of the Paris city limits.

Discuss the role of an expert witness.

An expert witness is a scientist or doctor who is an expert in the field related to

the evidence they are discussing in court.

Who created Sherlock Holmes?

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

What is the chain of custody?

Chain of custody is the detailed list of individuals who have come in contact

with the evidence since collection.

Which Federal Agencies have a crime lab?

DEA, ATF&E, U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, AND FBI

How were most crimes solved before the 1960’s?

Through deductive reasoning skills, great police work, and confessions.

Ballistics

Bullets can be individualized to a weapon by __________. While cartridge cases can be

individualized by marks left by ____________.

STRIATIONS which are produced from THE LANDS AND GROOVES INSIDE

THE BARREL. the FIRING PIN.

IBIS is

INTEGRATED BALLISTICS IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM.

Lands and grooves are (CLASS) evidence and striations are (INDIVIDUAL).

Distinguish between gauge (SHOTGUN), caliber (RIFLE/HANDGUN/REVOLVER), land (RAISED PART OF BARREL), groove (CUT OUT PART OF BARREL), striations (MARKS LEFT BY THE BARREL’S LANDS

AND GROOVES ON THE BULLET), breech face (REAR SURFACE OF BULLET CHAMBER), ejector (PART OF GUN THAT THROWS THE CASING OUT), and bore (USED TO CUT LANDS AND GROOVES INTO THE

BARREL).

Define ballistics.

THE SCIENCE OF PROJECTILES AND FIREARMS.

What type of relationship exists between the amount of gun shot residue and the distance of

fire?

Closer equals more residue and smaller diameter of residue surface, farther

distance equals less residue and more spread out.

Gunpowder residue is usually identified by the presence of the elements

LEAD, BARIUM & ANTIMONY.

To help reconstruct a crime scene the speed, trajectory, size, mass, and manufacturer of a

bullet will all be important.

TRUE

What would Ballistic evidence consist of?

BULLETS, SHELL CASINGS, FIREARMS, ETC.

Arson and Explosions

Define: oxidation, combustion, endothermic, exothermic.

Is an oxidation reaction endothermic or exothermic

EXOTHERMIC

What is the fire triangle?

HEAT, FUEL, AND OXYGEN

What solution is used to rinse fire debris?

ORGANIC SOLVENTS Example: Acetone

Accelerants are commonly detected by SNIFFERS and ARSON DOGS.

Two common classes of explosives are LOW and HIGH.

High explosives are also broken down into Primary and Secondary

classifications.

Distinguish primary (<1000 m/s) and secondary explosives (>1000 m/s). Primary explosives are used in BLASTING CAPS.

The first focus of a fire investigator is to LOCATE THE ORIGIN ON THE FIRE.

How is fire debris collected?

IN A SEALED CONTAINER TO PREVENT VAPORS FROM ESCAPING.

Describe the profile of an arsonist. What are his motives?

VANDALISM, REVENGE, EXCITEMENT, CRIME CONCEALMENT, PROFIT,

EXTREMIST.

Know and be able to identify and describe fire patterns common to an arson scene.

V-SHAPE, INVERTED CONE, PROTECTED AREA, CLEAN BURN, RUN

DOWN BURN, IGNITABLE LIQUID POUR PATTERN.

DNA

In 1985, the works of SIR ALEC JEFFREYS lead to the first DNA typing.

Before 1960, most crimes were solved by PHYSICAL EVIDENCE/DEDUCTIVE REASONING.

The building blocks of DNA are NUCLEOTIDES.

In DNA, nucleic acid A bonds to T and G to C.

Which nucleic acid is in RNA? U

Restriction enzymes are used to CUT DNA AT SPECIFIC SITES.

Tandem repeats are TYPE OF DNA POLYMORPHISM WHERE SHORT SEQUENCES OF DNA ARE REPEATED.

Understand the common methods of DNA mapping: RFLP, PCR, STR, mtDNA. How do these tests work? SEE ONLINE

TEXTBOOK.

What was the purpose of the human genome project?

TO REVEAL THE LOCATIONS FOR EACH GENE.

DNA is useful in such cases as crime, MURDER, and RAPE but can not be used for BIRTH defects.

Which is better to used for paternity determination, blood typing or DNA?

DNA

Serology and Blood Spatter

Serology is the study of BODILY FLUIDS.

Antigens are found on the RED BLOOD CELLS and antibodies in the BLOOD PLASMA.

Type AB blood contains A AND B antigens and A AND B antibodies.

During routine blood typing antigens A AND B are tested. For the ABO group, the most common blood type is O the least is AB.

Be able to apply genetics to paternity and crime scene blood evidence. Could a type AB mother and a type O father have a B child? YES What

could be the possible genotypes their children? AB, AO, AND BO.

Be able to identify human red and white blood cells and platelets. Which cells do not contain DNA? RED BLOOD CELLS

Evidence collect from a sexual assault could include SEMEN, BLOOD, VAGINAL SECRETIONS.

Acid phosphatase and PSA are used to identify SEMINAL FLUID.

Blood spatter patterns depend on the ANGLE OF IMPACT, VELOCITY, and AMOUNT of the blood.

Luminol is used to detect BLOOD

Blood evidence exposes investigators to these diseases. TRUE IF NOT HANDLED PROPERLY.

Bones and Teeth

 Which is a type of rib: true, false, or floating?

ALL ARE RIBS

Be able to identify a skull based on race.

To determine age from a skull, the OCCIPITAL BONE AND ZYGOMATIC

ARCHES are examined.

How can a female pelvis be distinguished from a male pelvis?

THE ANGLE OF THE PUBIC ARCH IS WIDER ON A FEMALE (>90 DEGREES).

What can cause blunt force trauma?

BEING HIT BY A BASEBALL BALL BATT.

Distinguish between compression, bending, and shearing forces.

An adult has (less) bones than a child.

How is the ribcage and shoulders of a male different from a female?.

MALES ARE LARGER AND MORE PRONOUNCED

Do males or females have more pronounced muscle attachments? Why

? MALES, LARGER MUSCLES.

Teeth are the (hardest) substance in the body.

Very young children have 20 teeth while adults have 32.

Dental RECORDS are often used for identification and dental history.

Each tooth has 5 surfaces.

Bite marks can be determined to be made prior to death by looking for BRUISING.

The most famous case involving bite marks is the TED BUNDY case.

How do the epiphyses regions change with age?

THE FUSE WHEN YOU GET OLDER.

How many bones are needed to find an approximate height?

1 LONG BONE.

Know the first tooth identification case.

NERO’S WIFE

Who developed the system of anthropometry?

BERTILLON

Describe the first case that used forensic odontology.

PAUL REVERE RECOGNISED THE DENTURES HE CREATED

FOR GENERAL WARREN.