1. Question and Answer Samples and Techniques
Forensics Ch. 11 Quiz
Question and Answer
Samples and Techniques

2. Experts agree on a single definition for death.

3. There are 4 ways a person can die, and these are referred to as the manner of death.

4. What are the 4 manners of death?
natural death
accidental death
suicidal death
homicidal death

5. A man with a heart condition is attacked and dies from a heart attack during the assault. What is the manner of death?
homicide
accident
natural
suicide

6. An elderly woman dies after being kept from receiving proper health care by her son. What is the manner of death?
natural
accident
homicide
suicide

7. The reason someone dies if referred to as the ________________.
manner of death
mechanism of death
cause of death
time of death

8. Which of the following is NOT a cause of death?
suffocation
shooting
loss of blood
strangulation
heart attack

9. What is the mechanism of death?
The means by which someone dies.
The specific change in the body that brought about death.
The immediate reason for a person’s death.
The stiffness that occurs after death.

10. What are the 6 factors used to estimate a person’s time of death?
livor mortis
rigor mortis
algor mortis
stomach/intestinal contents
decomposition
insects

11. Livor mortis refers to:
death coolness
death heat
death stiffness
death color

12. Pooling of blood in the body
What is lividity?
Pooling of blood in the body

13. Lividity begins ___ hours after death, and If the skin is pressed, lividity will remain after _________ hours.
2 hours; 8 hours
4 hours; 12 hours
2 hours; 12 hours hours
4 hours; 8 hours
2 hours; 6 hours

14. Lividity can reveal the position of a corpse during the first 8 hours after death.

15. What does dual lividity suggest?
That a body was kept in one position two hours after death and then moved to a second position before the lividity became permanent.

16. Rigor mortis is permanent.

17. Which statement is true about rigor mortis?
It may remain in the body for up to 36 hours.
It starts in the feet and works its way up to the head.
Peak rigor is at 10 hours.
It starts in the head and works its way down to the legs.
When leaving the body, it starts in the feet and works its way up to the head.

18. If a person experiences hypothermia, the onset of rigor will be slower.

19. Algor mortis means: death color death stiffness
death chill and describes the temperature loss in the corpse.
death heat and describes the temperature loss in the corpse.
death heat and describes the temperature gain in the corpse.
death color
death stiffness

20. To take a corpse’s temperature, forensic investigators insert a thermometer into the ______.
liver
mouth
rectum
stomach
underarm

21. A rule of thumb is to expect a corpse to lose ____ degrees F/hour.3 2 .5 1
2.5

22. To help determine time of death.
Why do medical examiners study the corpse’s stomach and intestinal contents?
To help determine time of death.

23. If the stomach is empty but food is found in the small intestine, then death occurred _______________ after a meal.
at least 4-6 hours
12 or more hours
0-2 hours
at least 2-4 hours
at least 6-8 hours

24. Cell autolysis begins 4 hours after death.

25. During decomposition, the skin takes on a marbled appearance within:
0-2 days after death
2-4 days after death
5-6 days after death
6-8 days after death
8-10 days after death

26. During decomposition, when do fluids begin to leak from the body and organs begin to liquify?
0-2 days
3-4 days
4-6 days
6-10 days
More than 10 days

27. Lower temperatures tend to prevent bacterial growth and slow down decomposition.

28. The study of insects as they pertain to legal matters is called ________________.
forensic entomology

29. What insects are the first to arrive to lay eggs on the warm body?
blowflies

30. What are the 7 stages in the blowfly life cycle?
Egg
Larva 1
Larva 2
Larva 3
Pre-Pupa
Early & late Pupa
Adult

31. Insect evidence can provide an exact time of death.