1. Here are some forensic science photos--some are from actual crime scenes:

2. Defense Wounds #1
Defense wounds on the hand of a victim whose assailant was attacking with a knife.

3. Defense Wound #2
Here is a typical "defense wound" on the forearm of the victim of an assault with a sharp weapon, producing the laceration.

4. Scene illustrates mechanism for "defense wounds".
Defense Posture
Scene illustrates mechanism for "defense wounds".
Such wounds result from an attempt to ward off the assailant. The victim holds up forearms and hands in front of the body.

5. Clay Model Used to Demonstrate Knife Wounds
single edge knife wound
double edge
knife wound
Seen in this clay model is the pattern of a stab wound from a double edge knife on the left and a single edge knife on the right.

6. Stab Wound: Single Edge Blade
Sharp edge of blade
This is a stab wound with a single edge blade. Note the sharp point of the blade at the left and the notch of the opposite side of the knife at the right. The shape of stab wounds can vary considerably, depending upon whether the incision is along the axis of, or perpendicular to, Langer's lines. Those perpendicular will tend to pull apart and gape open, while those parallel to the lines of stress will tend to remain slit-like.

7. Deadly blow to head that resulted in fractured skull and bleeding.

8. Fractured Liver: Blunt Force Injury
Massive abdominal blunt force injury often leads to liver injury, since it is the largest internal organ. Note the multiple lacerations over the capsule. Damage to abdominal organs with lacerations, crush injuries, and rupture can lead to bleeding into the peritoneal cavity known as hemoperitoneum. A peritoneal lavage can detect such bleeding.

9. Natural Death: *Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma of the Breast
*Photographs by Ed Uthman, MD. Public domain. Posted 12 Oct 01
This breast carcinoma, seen here in a mastectomy specimen, is unusually large by today's standards. The tumor measures 5 cm in greatest dimension and extensively involves the nipple (which can be seen as the papillated surface at the top of the specimen. The only way such a superficial tumor can get so large is for the patient to ignore it and not seek medical attention.

10. *Pathologist’s photo of embryo (ectopic pregnancy)
*Photographs by Ed Uthman, MD. Public domain. Posted 12 Oct 01
This photo of an opened oviduct with an ectopic pregnancy features a spectacularly well preserved 10-millimeter embryo. It is uncommon to see any embryo at all in an ectopic, and for one to be this well preserved (and undisturbed by the prosector's knife) is quite unusual. Even an embryo this tiny shows very distinct anatomic features, including tail, limb buds, heart (which actually protrudes from the chest), eye cups, cornea/lens, brain, and prominent segmentation into somites. The gestational sac is surrounded by a myriad of chorionic villi resembling elongate party balloons. This embryo is about five weeks old (or seven weeks in the biologically misleading but eminently practical dating system used in obstetrics).

11. Forensic Pathologist’s Tools of the Trade
Autopsy tools -- site:
Enterotome
These large scissors are used for opening the intestines. The bulb-ended blade is inserted into the lumen (the hollow inside) of the gut, and the instrument is smoothly stripped down the length of the intestine. The blunt bulb keeps the internal blade from perforating the gut from the inside.
Skull chisel
After scoring the calvarium (the vault-like part of the skull that holds the brain) with the vibrating saw or hand saw, the chisel is used to gently finish the separation of the top of the calvarium from the lower skull, thus exposing the brain and its coverings (meninges).
Hagedorn needle
Also called the sailmaker's needle, this is a large needle with an eye for sewing up the body after the autopsy is finished. The stitching is similar to that used on the outer covering of baseballs. Heavy twine, which is much coarser than suture, is used for the procedure.
Rib cutters
These look like small pruning shears and are used to cut through the ribs prior to lifting off the chest plate. Some prosectors actually use pruning shears from a hardware store, which are much less expensive.
Scalpel
This differs from the surgeon's scalpel in having a longer handle for reaching deeper into body cavities. The disposable blade is usually a #22 size, which is the largest commonly available.
Toothed forceps
The teeth on these "pickups" lend strength in gripping heavy organs for removal. In surgical pathology, teeth are a liability in that they increase the risk of cross contamination between specimens, so untoothed forceps are used there.
Scissors
These are otherwise unremarkable scissors used for opening hollow organs (such as the gallbladder) and trimming off tissues. They can also be used for blunt dissection by means of an "opening" motion, rather than the more familiar "closing" motion used in cutting.
Bone saw
This hand saw is rarely used today, most often by pathologists who fear infection from aersols thrown up by the much more vigorous vibrating saw (see below). The hand saw can be used to saw through the skull, but it's very slow-going compared to the vibrating saw.

12. Stryker Saw: good for cutting into skull
More autopsy tools…
Stryker Saw: good for cutting
into skull
Hammer with hook
The hammer (perhaps the Beatles' inspiration for "Maxwell's silver hammer"?) is used with the chisel to separate the calvarium from the lower skull. The hook is handy to pull the calvarium away.
Breadknife
Also referred to simply as the "long knife," this is used to smoothly cut solid organs into slices for examination, display, and photography of the organs' cut surfaces. Particularly facile prosectors pride themselves on being able to do almost all of the soft tissue dissections (including stripping the gut from the mesentery and opening the heart chambers) with this large, unlikely-looking blade. The example shown here includes a disposable blade. Models with permanent, resharpenable blades are also available.
Vibrating saw
The vibrating saw, also referred to eponymously as the "Stryker saw," is the instrument of choice for most prosectors faced with removing the brain. The blade reciprocates rapidly with a small amplitude. This action prevents the saw from cutting soft tissues, notably the prosector's hand. The disadvantage of vibrating saws is that they throw up more potentially infectious aerosols than do hand saws.