Forensic Science Applications Flashcards
6 cards from real ABMDI practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Forensic Science Applications flashcards as text
Forensic toxicology can detect substances in which of the following postmortem specimens when blood is unavailable?
Answer: Vitreous humor, liver, bile, hair, bone marrow, and skeletal muscle
When blood is unavailable or compromised, toxicology can be performed on multiple alternative specimens including vitreous humor, liver, bile, urine, hair, and bone.
What is the significance of a contact gunshot wound on the hand of a decedent found near a firearm?
Answer: It may indicate a defensive wound, muzzle contact, or a struggle over the firearm
A contact gunshot wound on the hand may indicate a defensive action, a struggle over a weapon, or other circumstances. It does not conclusively indicate either homicide or suicide.
In medicolegal death investigation, forensic odontology contributes primarily to:
Answer: Human identification and bite mark analysis
Forensic odontology's primary contributions to medicolegal death investigation are positive identification through dental records comparison and bite mark analysis in assault cases.
A blunt force injury and a sharp force injury differ in which primary characteristic?
Answer: Sharp force injuries produce clean, incised wounds; blunt force injuries produce lacerations with abraded, contused margins
Sharp force injuries (stab, cut) create clean-edged wounds; blunt force injuries create lacerations with torn, bruised, and abraded margins due to crushing and tearing of tissue.
Forensic entomology can be used by the MDI to determine which of the following?
Answer: Minimum postmortem interval, evidence of body movement, and whether death occurred indoors or outdoors
Forensic entomology can establish minimum postmortem interval, indicate whether remains were moved (insect fauna inconsistent with location), and suggest indoor versus outdoor death based on insect species present.
What is the role of a drug recognition expert (DRE) in the context of medicolegal death investigations?
Answer: DREs are law enforcement officers trained to identify signs of drug impairment, whose observations may support toxicology findings in a death case
DREs are specially trained law enforcement officers who can identify drug influence categories; their observations may provide investigative context supporting toxicology findings.