Download Forensic Science – Study Guide for Final (Spring 2013)

Forensic Science – Study Guide for Final (Spring 2013)
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Forensic Science
a. Definition
b. Scientific Method
c. Components of a lab report; Conclusions
Evidence:
a. Differentiate between class vs. individual; direct vs. circumstantial;
b. What is trace evidence? Provide examples and their use.
c. Differentiate between direct transfer and secondary transfer.
d. Define reference samples and controls.
e. Explain Locard’s exchange principle.
f. What is the proper procedures for collecting, preserving and recording evidence.
g. What is a bindle? Why is it used?
Crime Scene Investigation
a. Who are the people involved in crime scene investigation and what are their roles
b. How is a crime scene documented with photographs and sketches
c. What are common search patterns of a crime scene?
d. How is evidence collected and preserved? (chain of custody)
e. What is the purpose of crime scene reconstruction (working theories)?
Fingerprinting
a. How are fingerprints formed in the human body? How do they change throughout life?
b. Characteristics of fingerprints
i. What are the three basic (main) patterns ( names and % in the population)?
ii. What are minutiae patterns? Provide examples and how they are used to characterize fingerprints.
c. Differentiate between patent, latent & plastic fingerprints
d. How are fingerprints analyzed? Use the lab activities
DNA Fingerprinting
a. What is the basic structure of DNA and its base pairing?
b. What is the difference between nuclear and mitochondrial DNA? When are each used in forensics?
c. How are alleles inherited? Be able to show this using Punnettt squares (lab activities).
d. What is STR? How many repeats are typically found?
e. Differentiate between coding vs. non-coding DNA? What is used in DNA fingerprinting?
f. DNA Typing
i. What is the FBI system and how many different STRs are used?
ii. How is DNA collected? What are the sources of DNA?
g. Supreme Court case – What is the issue with DNA collection?
Blood and Blood Spatter
a. What is the composition of blood?
b. Blood type
i. Is blood type class vs. individual evidence? How is it used
ii. Types: A, B, O, AB; Rh factor
1. What are the antigens associated with each type? Where are they located?
2. What are the antibodies associated with each type?
3. What is the proportion of each type(%) in the human population?
4. How is blood tested to determine if it is human?
5. How is it tested for blood type?
c. Analysis of Blood spatter
i. How are height, direction, speed (velocity) used to determine what was happening in a crime scene?
ii. How does surface material impact the shape and size of blood spatter.
iii. Differentiate between passive, altered, cast-off blood patterns.
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Toxicology
a. Differentiate between and give examples of poison, toxin, controlled substance, drug, narcotic
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Arson and Fire Investigation
a. What are the components of the Fire Tetrahedron? How do they interact?
b. What is the basic combustion reaction? What are the components needed to react and what is produced ?
c. What is the role of hydrocarbons in fire?
d. What are the 4 types of fire? (natural, accidental; deliberate, arson)
e. How can patterns help determine the cause of a fire? Use V-pattern; streamers; alligatoring; and concrete spalling
f. Define accelerants.
g. What are the motives for arson (Financial gain; revenge; excitement; crime concealment; vandalism) ?
Forensic Odontology
a. How are teeth & dental records used to identify human remains? Why are they used?
b. What are features of bitemarks which can be used to identify individuals (lab activity)?
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