Unit 6 Text Questions

Argon Patino
Review Questions
1.
What is liver mortis? How might this reveal information about the time of death?
Liver mortis refers to the settling of blood in the lowest parts of the body. This Might reveal information about the time of death because it happens 8­12 hours after the death it is not the best way to determine time of death but it can show whether the body has been moved or shifted.
2.
What three aspects does a forensic autopsy seek information about? Describe each of these aspects? The three aspects that a forensic autopsy seeks information about is cause of death,mechanism of death, and the manner of death.The cause of death is to figure out what medical problem that leads the victim to death. The mechanism of death refers to any instrument or weapon used in a death, such as a knife or firearm.The manner of death for a forensic autopsy is often suicide or homicide, as opposed to disease or other natural causes.
3.
How can digestion rates give information to forensic scientists about the time of death?
The process of digestion can also aid investigators in determining the time of death. When someone dies, digestion of any food eaten ceases. Forensic pathologists can use this information during an autopsy to see how far along the digestive process food has traveled. It takes about 10 minutes for food to begin moving from the stomach to the intestines.
4.
What is mummification?
Mummification is a drying of the body and its tissues.
5.
How can human bones give forensic scientists an indication of age? Describe some of the aspects that would give this information.
Human bones can give an indication of age which the best estimates are those separating the age of an individual into broad categories, such as young adult, middle aged, and elderly.

Critical Thinking Questions
1.
Imagine that you are at a crime scene. You find skeletal remains, but the skeleton is not complete as some of the smaller bones are missing. The bones are within a twenty feet radius.
Based on this information, what would you be able to ascertain about the time of death and the individual who was killed?
Based on this information I can believe that the body was left there for about 4­12 months.
2.
Out of the different methods to help determine the time of death, which one do you think is most effective? Why?
I believe that rigor mortis is the most effective in determining the time of death because it is the natural process which occurs in all of us when we die and is the natural contracting and relaxation of the body's muscles caused by changes in the body's chemical balances.
3.
Do you think you would like to participate in an autopsy? Why or why not?
Yes I would like to participate in an autopsy because i think it whould be cool to determine the cause of death,mechanism of death, and the manner of death.
4.
If you were a forensic anthropologist and were studying human remains, what information would you look for in the bones? Why would this information be helpful?
If I was a forensic anthropologist i would try to determine the sex, age, physical characteristics, or any information on the possible cause of death. Yes this information would be helpful because it shows who the victim was.
5.
What can the distribution of bones tell a forensic scientist? What do you think would be the most challenging aspect of collecting skeletal remains at a crime scene?
The distribution of bones tells a forensic scientist about the time of death. The farther spread out the bones are the longer the time of death was. I believe that the most challenging part of collecting skeletal remains is finding the bones because it could be hidden near by.