Forensic
Science
BY: Asmahan Hussain
March 18, 2014
8-D
Vocabulary
Autopsy-Medical examination of a dead body to find the
cause of death.
Crime scene investigator (CSI)- law enforcement officer
who investigates crime scene in search of forensic
evidence.
DNA- a single molecule in a cell containing the
instructions for growing and operating that organism.
Trace evidence- bits of evidence found at the crime
scene.Ex, skin cells or carpet fibers
Forensic entomologist- expert who examines the different
types of insect life found at the crime scene.
Forensic anthropologist- expert who uses skeletal
remains to reveal details about how victims died and
how they looked like when they were alive.
What is Forensic science and where did
it originate from?
O Forensic means “used in court of laws”.
O CSI’s use forensic science to gather information
on past crimes.
O Used to find and analyzes clues. (Fridell, 6)
O In 1887, Arthur Conan Doyle wrote the sherlock
holmes stories
O Sherlock used Forensic Science to solve crimes
O In 1910 it became real and the world’s first
crime lab opened in lyon, France. (Fridell, 10)
How were past crimes solved using
Forensic science?
O In 1923 a gang tried to rob a train in Oregon
O They murdered the train crew and fled
O Police arrived at the crime scene, found nothing
but a pair of overalls
O Sent it to Edward Heinrich (the head of the
forensics laboratory in Berkeley, California.)
O Found several characteristics of the criminal.
O Information helped the Police catch the criminals.
Continue…………Tracking down a
Terrorist.
O April 19,1995 a 5,000 pound bomb
explosion happened in Oklahoma, City
O Killed 168 people inside the Alfred P.
Murrah Building
O The axle from the truck that had the
bomb in it flew 575 feet and crashed into
a windshield.
O Had the vin on the axle which led a
rental truck company, which to the
criminal.
Continue……..Caught by a dusty detail
O In 1995,a man called the police and said he
found his wife dead
O He said that she was tied and hanged by a
rope, and he had brought her down and
removed it before the police arrived.
O when the police everything seemed just like
the way he claimed it was
O When they looked up in the air they saw the
roof beam it was covered in dust which meant
that the husband was lying, and got caught by
the police.
How do insects help find out how long a person
has been dead for?
O Forensic entomologist specialize in insects and
dead flesh.
O When someone dies insects come to feed on
the body
O Blowflies can smell dead flesh from 1.5 miles
away and come to feed
O They start to lay eggs in the humans eyes,
ears, and mouth
O 24 hours latter beetles will arrive
O Next 24 hours spiders and millipedes come to
feed on the beetles and magots.
How do Forensic scientist use a
persons remains to figure out how they
looked like?
O Forensic sculptors rebuild a model of what the
skull might have looked like.
O They go through a process called facial
reconstruction.
O The Forensic sculptor uses a plaster of the
actual skull
O He starts analyzing the features of the skull, as
well as using adding pegs to figure out how
how thick the skin will be.
O He adds clay and starts molding the actual
face structure.
How are autopsies relevant to a crime ?
O They need to examine the body so that they
can identify the person/victim.
O Without a body there really is no case
O Body is needed to tell how the victim died.
O Ex, if there was a bullet they would be able
to retrieve, which could help them figure out
which gun it came from and what the murder
weapon is.
What is DNA profiling?
O DNA Stand for DeoxyriboNucleic Acid
O In the Mid-1800s scientist developed a
way to identify people.
O DNA is made up of spiral-shaped ladder
of chemicals (known as human
genome).
O DNA profiling is when scientist use
unique stretches in DNA to identify
people.
O Scientist can get a profile from sweat,
saliva, blood, and skin cells.
What type of materials and steps do
CSI’s use when a crime occurs?
O Scientist carry a crime kit for gathering
evidence.
O It has yellow caution tape, camera and, film,
flashlight, fingerprinting tools. vacuum with
filter for trace evidence.,
O When a crime occurs they surround the area
with yellow caution tape.
O They have to try and avoid touching or
walking on evidence.
O Take photographs and thoroughly look over
the crime science taking in every single detail
so that it could gather all evidence and clues
How can technology be used to identify
who a person was?
O Forensic anthropologists use new computer
techniques to identify the way people look.
O A computer software scans all side of the skull,
then creates the skin, hair, eyes, nose,etc.
O Forensic science can alter the electric image,
rather than having to waste a long time
sculpting it out of clay.
Video
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/forensic-crim-justice
Work Cited
1. "A Brief History of Forensic Science - Royal Institution
of Australia." Royal Institution of Australia. N.p., n.d.
Web. 04 May 2015.
2. Fridell, Ron. Forensic Science. Minneapolis, MN:
Lerner Publications, 2007. Print.
3. "Forensic Sciences & Forensics: Science in Law."
Legal Language Services. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 May
2015.
4. "What Do Forensic Scientists Do?" Randelcastle. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 04 May 2015.
5. "Forensic Science Training & Job Overview." Forensic
Science Training & Job Overview. N.p., n.d. Web. 04
May 2015.