Forensic Science for Beginners

For many people, forensics is a fascinating but confusing field that is full of mystery and intrigue. Whether it's learning more about how criminal evidence is collected and stored or finding out how the legal system uses this information, everyone should explore the world of forensics. A skilled team of expert authors write all of our articles, which we hope will be informative and interesting to our huge and diverse readership.

Determining Sex

Sometimes during the course of a criminal investigation and its subsequent autopsy the pathologist may find his or herself faced with the task of identifying the sex of a skeleton after decomposition. Obviously before decomposition there are detailed differences between the form of a male or a female but once …

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Scars, Tattoos and Birthmarks in Identification

There are many different methods that a forensic pathologist can use to make a positive identification against a corpse that finds its way onto his or her autopsy table; and one of the most useful and simplest is that of identifying scars, tattoos and birthmarks that may be present on …

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Skeletal Remains

Skeletal remains are all that is left of a corpse after nature has taken its course and has disposed of skin, tissue, and any other organ that may cover the skeletal frame. Discovering Skeletal Remains For the most part skeletal remains are found long after a victim has died and …

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The Four Manners of Death

The four manners of death are the four main categories in which death can occur that a pathologist will look for when he or she is examining the deceased. Four Categories of Death These four categories of death are: Natural Causes: Quite simply when the body ceases to function of …

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Rigor Mortis and Lividity

Rigor Mortis and Lividity are two natural occurrences within the human body after death that can be used as a means of determining – or at least estimating – when the deceased died. What is Rigor Mortis? Rigor Mortis is the stiffening of the body after death because of a …

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Measuring Body Temperature

Although body temperature can vary between us as human beings, the average body temperature is around 37oC (or 98 Fahrenheit). Measuring Temperature Some people have varying temperatures as a result of variances in their metabolism: the higher the rate of metabolism the higher the temperature and likewise the lower the …

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Insects and Flies in Forensic Medicine

An important factor in estimating the time of death of the deceased can sometimes be their surroundings, which includes what creatures are present in those surroundings. Many insects and flies are synonymous with the decaying of a corpse and from the point of view of a pathologist – accompanied by …

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Stomach Contents as a Means of Evidence

In most autopsies the contents of the stomach are an important piece of evidence, which can sometimes prove to be the difference between accidental death and foul play. We have all seen the television and cinema autopsies played out where the pathologist will empty the contents of the deceased’s stomach …

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Drowning and Forensics

Drowning almost always occurs as a result of an accident. It is quite a staggering and sobering thought that many of those people who drown each year in the United Kingdom do so because they have never been taught how to swim or simply have a morbid fear of water …

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Toxic Gases

Many people throughout the Western world die every year as a result of breathing in toxic gases, which cause their lungs to fail or their hearts to go into cardiac arrest. These gases, which are found not only in industrial environments but also in nature, can be odourless, colourless and …

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