Terms:

Forensic Anthropology: The examination of skeletal remains. It can be used to determine if the
remains are from human; the gender, approximate age, physical stature, race of the person; time
of death, cause of death, and any illness or wounds that leave traces in the bone.
Physical Evidence: Any material either in gross or trace quantities that through scientific
examination and analysis are able to establish that a crime has been committed.
PCR: Polymerase Chain Reaction. A biochemical technology used to amplify a single or a few
copies of DNA across several orders of magnitude, generating thousands to millions of copies of a
particular DNA sequence. Materials needed are DNA polymerase, DNA to be copied, dNTP,
forward primer and backward primer.
Poisoning: It is an exposure to poison. Poisons are substances that cause disturbances to organism
and may exert a life threatening effect.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: A pattern of mental and physical defects that can develop in a fetus in
association with high levels of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The main effect is
permanent CNS damage.
Genotype: The genetic makeup of an individual.
Phenotype: The physical and physiological trait of an individual resulting from genotype and
environment.
Short Tandem Repeats: Short sequence of DNA, normally 2-5 base pairs in length, which is
repeated in numerous times in a head tail manner.
Homozygous: A state where individuals cells have identical alleles of a particular gene.
Heterozygous: A state where individuals cells contain two different alleles of a particular gene.
Fatal Injury: Injury that causes death immediately or within a short time after infliction. Example:
wounds that affect he heart, large blood vessel, brain, upper part of spinal cord, the lungs,
stomach, liver, spleen and intestine.
Fat Embolism: A type of embolism that is often cause by physical trauma such as fracture of long
bones or pelvis. Fat and bone marrow may gain entry to blood vessel and cause mechanical
obstruction of the vessel. It often lodges in pulmonary circulatory system and cause various effects.
Contusion: breach of continuity of true skin or underlying tissues with or without loss of external
continuity caused by blunt forces. It may damage capillaries allowing blood to extravasate into the
surrounding tissue.
Abrasion: wound caused by superficial damage to skin, no deeper than epidermis. Cause by
friction or fall.
Hydrostatic Test: Determination of the buoyancy of the lungs. Based on the fact that in typical still
births, the lungs are not aerated while in live births the lungs are expanded with air. As a result the
lungs of stillborn baby sink when placed in water while the lungs of a live born float.
Death: cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. When circulation,
respiration or brain functions fail, it may lead to the failure of others and cause death.
Brain Death: Complete and irreversible loss of brain function. When EEG shows no change in
potential even after 12-24 hours, it can be accepted as evidence of brain death.
Biological Evidence: Any material which is recovered from crime scenes in the form of hair, tissue,
bones, teeth, blood or other bodily fluids that may contain nucleated cells that possess DNA.
Asphyxia: State characterized by lack of oxygen in blood. It is caused by disruption of the
respiratory system such as mechanical restriction (hanging, strangulation, drowning), inhalation of
irrespirable gas (CO), disease, poison or high altitude.
Toxicology: Science that deals with the source, physical and chemical properties, physiological
action, detection, estimation, and treatment of the ill effects resulting from the administration or
exposure to poisons.
Injury (medical and legal definition): Medically, it is damage that causes solution of the continuity
of skin or mucous membrane. Legally it is any harm illegally caused to any person, in body, mind,
reputation or property.
Virginity: State of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. In female it can be check
by the hymen.
Sudden death: Sudden or unexpected termination of life of apparently healthy individuals from
natural diseases.



Long Questions:
1. List any six of the details of the wound which should be examined by the medical officers.
Abrasion or scratch: Wounds caused by superficial damage to skin, no deeper than
epidermis.
Contusion or bruise: Wounds caused by blunt impact that result in the breach of
continuity in the true skin or underlying tissue without affecting the external
surface.
Lacerated wounds: Tearing or splitting of tissue. It is often irregular and jagged.
Incised Wounds: Clean cut wounds without loss of tissue caused by sharp cutting
instrument.
Punctured Wounds: Wounds caused by thrusting in of sharp pointed objects.
Gunshot wounds: wounds caused by the entry or exit of bullets.
2. What are the post mortem appearances of organophosphate poisoning?
Severe hypoxia. Cyanosis in lips and nails
Fine froth at mouth or nostril
Smell of kerosene
Gastric mucosa is congested and sometimes discoloured
Lungs and brain show congestion and edema.
3. How to treat the patient poisoned by carbon monoxide?
Remove the patient from source of poisonous atmosphere and exposed them to
fresh air.
Artificial respiration
Administration of Hyperbaric Oxygen
The patient should be kept cool and at complete bed rest


4. Please state briefly the Hardy-Weinberg principle and its application in forensic genetics.
The Hardy-Weinberg principle states that in a large randomly breeding population,
allelic frequencies will remain the same from generation to generation assuming
that there is no mutation, gene migration, selection or genetic drift.
When DNA pattern obtained from a specimen at a scene of a crime matches that
obtained from suspect, the prosecution seeks to prove that the suspect is the only
possible source of specimen. That inference depends on knowing something about
the distribution of genotypes in the population that can be inferred by the
application of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium principle.
5. What are the morphologic sex differences in pelvis?
Trait Male Female
Pubic Symphisis Higher Lower
Pubic Bone Triangular Square or Rectangle
Subpubic Angle Narrow V-shaped, acute
angle
Wide U-shaped, obtuse
angle
Acetabulum Large, directed laterally Small, directed
anterolaterally
Greater Sciatic Notch Narrow, deep Wide, shallow
Ischiopubic Rami Rough everted margin Gracile, narrow near
symphisis
Pelvic inlet Heart Shaped Circular, elliptical

6. What kind of questions (points) need to be answered during the autopsy?
Who is the deceased?
What is the cause of death?
When is the time of death?
What is the manner of death?
To search for and stored any evidence.



7. Give some examples to explain the primary or immediate causes of death from wound.
Hemorrhage: Bleeding may result from trauma to the heart or blood vessels.
Shock occur when the body loss 1 litre of blood rapidly and 2 litres loss will result
in death.
Gross Injury to Vital Organs: Severe injury to brain, heart, lung or liver will cause
death because of the loss of functions.
Primary or Neurogenic Shock: Mechanical injury to susceptible places may result
in reflex vasodilation, decreased blood pressure and death.
Air Embolism: When the neck or chest veins are injured and air enter the vessels,
the resulting air embolism will cause death.
8. What are the morphologic sex differences in skull?
Trait Male Female
Skull Larger, rugged, and more
muscle marked
Smaller, gracile, smooth
Superior Orbital Margin Rounder Sharp
Forehead Sloped Vertical
Mastoid Process Larger and more blunt Smaller and sharper
Inion Prominent, hook shaped Less prominent
Zygomatic Arch Wider; extend as far as
supramastoid crest
Narrower; shorter
Chin More square Rounded









9. What are the purpose and applications of forensic DNA analysis?
Purpose:
o Personal Identification
o Paternity Testing
Application:
o Matching suspect with evidence
o Missing Person Investigations
o Mass disaster Putting pieces back together
o Paternity Testing Identifying Father
10. How to examine the blood group of blood stains with the elution test?
Add antiserum of various blood types to the blood stain
Wash off uncombined antiserum
Break the bond between antibodies and antigen by heating it in 56 degrees Celsius
Collect the Antibodies which had combined with the blood antigens in the stain
and mix it with red blood cells of know types.
Agglutination of the known types
11. How to search for semen stains?
May be on clothing, skin, bedding, etc.
Visual Inspection; yellowish-white in colour
Alternative light source; look for fluorescence under UV light.
12. Please list the wound characters differences of homicidal and suicidal cases.
Suicidal Homicidal
Wounds mainly on accessible parts Wounds located anywhere, wounds on
inaccessible parts suggest homicide
Usually incised or punctured, rarely
lacerated
Any types
Incised wounds on wrist may be suicidal Incised wounds on the back of wrist,
hand and forearms are defense wounds
and may be homicidal
Several wounds may be shallow and
non-fatal, characterized by hesitation.
All wounds are made without
hesitation.
Incised wounds on genitalia, nose, and
ears suggest homicidal. Mutilation is
highly likely homicidal.
Gunshot injuries are at accessible parts
and made in point blank or near
distance. The hand will show traces of
gunpowder.
Gunshot at inaccessible parts such as
the back suggest homicidal. May be
inflicted from any range.
Clustered together in same region Scattered

13. Please describe the desirable treatment steps of acute poisoning.
Removal of Unabsorbed poison
o Poison taken orally can be removed from stomach by enforced vomiting
or stomach wash
o In inhalant poison, the patient should be removed to fresh air
o In injection or from a bite of poisonous animal, we have to excised the
wound and if necessary apply suction. Local cooling delayed absorption
o With poison that can be absorbed through skin, we have to wash the skin
and remove clothing
Elimination of absorbed poison
o Administration of antidotes. Antidotes are substances that can counteract
the effect of poison.
General and symptomatic measure
o Maintenance of body temperature
o Analgesia for relieving pain
o Specific treatment for other symptoms such as in shock, fluid and
electrolyte imbalance, acidosis, respiratory failure, cardiac failure, etc.

14. Please describe the various circumstances which can modify the action of poisons.
Quantity: the larger the dose the greater the severity.
Route of administration: Act faster in parenteral route
Chemical combination: May become more poisonous or inert
Mechanical combination
Habit: May diminish the effect of poison such as in alcohol or opium
Body health: weak body may succumb to smaller dose
Age: Adults are more tolerant
Idiosyncracy: Abnormal response to drug in theraupetic dose
Cumulative action: Poison may accumulate in the body
Synergism: Taking certain poisons together potentiate the other action.
15. Please describe the sign and symptoms of poisoning by carbon monoxide.
HbCO%<5% impaired psychomotor activity
HbCO% 10-20% headache and dizziness
HbCO% 20-40% nausea, vomit, muscular weakness and visual disturbance
HbCO% 40-50% tachypnea, fast pulse, syncope
HbCO% 50-60% mental confusion, staggering gait, dysarthria (motor speech
disorder)
HbCO% 60-70% Convulsion and coma
HbCO% 70-80% respiratory and cardiac depression, death




16. Please describe the differences between lividity and bruise.
Lividity Bruise
Only in dependent parts May occur anywhere
Sharply defined Ill-defined margin
No lividity in area of contact Bruise may develop in area of contact
When incised, the blood will oozed out When incised, it will show discoloration
tissues.
When pressed, blanching may occur When pressed, color remain

17. What are the characters of Y chromosome genetic markers? In what kind of situations can
Y chromosome genetic markers be used?
Characteristic of Y chromosome:
o Determine the male gender
o Passed only from father to son
o Genes on Y chromosome are present only at one chromosome
Application:
o Deficiency paternity testing
o Sexual Assault Case
o Historical Investigation