Forensics Quiz 1
• 1. Define forensic science, and is it an actual science discipline?
• 2. The medical dissection of a body to determine cause of death
is a(n)___.
• 3. When investigating a crime scene, investigators wear gloves to
violate which principle?
• 4. ___ ___ is the postmortem loss of heat.
• 5. The time of death of victim occurred 4 days ago, is it currently
in rigor mortis?
• 6. We found a homicide victim in rigor mortis, the time of death
must have occurred between __ and ___ hours ago.
• 7. A medical examiner would be considered an __ __ at a murder
trial.
• 8. Why has the number of crime labs risen in the past 40 years?
• 9. The __ would be called in to examine a large confiscation of
heroin.
• 10. The ___ would be called in to examine a large stock pile of
explosives and firearms found a storage building.
• 1. Which organization operates the largest crime lab in the
world?
• 2. True or False, most states have a central crime lab with
satellite locations under its control.
• 3. True or False, most local municipalities have a crime lab in
the state of Alabama.
• 4. Which crime lab unit would be in charge of examining a
.44 revolver found near the murder victim?
• 5. Which unit would examine a small amount of arsenic
found within the victim’s body?
• 6. Which unit would analyze the DNA of a hair sample?
• 7. Which unit would examine and try to recreate a hard drive
that has been damaged belonging to a suspect?
• 8. Which unit would photograph a scene?
• 9. Which optional unit usually is staffed by either a medical
examiner or a coroner?
• 10. What test was deemed unacceptable in the Frye v U.S.
case?
• 1. Why should investigators make sure they document the
crime scene in its intact state?
• 2. What is the first priority upon arrival at a crime scene?
• 3. Following the answer to #2, what should officers
immediately do?
• 4. What 3 things should be accomplished during the
preliminary exam?
• 5. The search pattern of a crime scene depends on what 2
things?
• 6. Why must investigators not overlook any pertinent
evidence?
• 7. Which search method is best for outdoor scenes?
• 8. Which method is best for houses and buildings?
• 9. Which method is best for scenes with no physical barriers
like a parking lot?
• 10. What was Jack the Ripper’s name according to article?
• 1. Where is a rough sketch conducted at, and what does it
include?
• 2. What 4 things should be identified during the note taking
process?
• 3. Why should we package all evidence separately?
• 4. List 3 types of packages that are used to collect evidence.
• 5. Can we use mailing envelopes to collect evidence?, if no
why not?
• 6. What tool can we use to pick up trace evidence?
• 7. Why should blood stained material be stored in airtight
containers?
• 8. What is a chain of custody?
• 9. What 3 procedures should be followed when documenting
chain of custody?
• 10. True or False, a reference sample is evidence that is found
at a crime scene, sent to lab, then analyzed.
• 1. ____ are materials adjacent or close to areas where
physical evidence has been deposited.
• 2. What do most labs require before the will run tests on
evidence?
• 3. Which committee developed the guidelines for crime
scene safety and why?
• 4. What should always be worn by investigators at a crime
scene?
• 5. Hazardous waste material should be disposed of in a
____ ____.
• 6. What should we do if a latex glove is torn at the scene
and we are exposed to a bodily fluid?
• 7. What are the 4 exceptions to the 4th amendment?
• 8. What are the 3 types of direct evidence?
• 9. What is the difference between class and individual
evidence?
• 10. If we have multiple witnesses, what should we do asap?
• 1. What is the name of the database that investigators use to
match fingerprints?
• 2. Latent fingerprints are composed primarily of which
substance?
• 3. What is the difference between visible and plastic
fingerprints?
• 4. What system can locate and capture prints without the use of
chemicals?
• 5. __ powders will illuminate prints whenever UV light is present.
• 6. Iodine can transform from a solid directly to a gas, this is called
___.
• 7. Iodine fumes interact with what substance left by fingerprints
to make them visible?
• 8. True or False, iodine fuming will permanently fix fingerprints.
• 9. Gentian Violet is a chemical that was used to lift fingerprints
from what types of surfaces?
• 10. Ninhydrin interacts with fingerprints turning them what
color?
• 11. What is the downside to using ninhydrin?
• 1. According to the FBI, what is the error rate for fingerprint
analysis?
• 2. What is the largest, oldest forensic organization in the
world?
• 3. According to the FBI, what is the chance that a computer
will mistake one fingerprint for another?
• 4. What are the 3 purposes for hair in mammals?
• 5. What are the 2 main parts of a hair follicle?
• 6. What are the 3 layers of the hair shaft?
• 7. Is examining the cuticle useful in individualizing human
hair?
• 8. To preserve scale pattern, what must be applied to the
slide and sample?
• 9. What are the 3 basic scale patterns of cuticles?
• 10. Coronal patterns are more common in which type of
animals?
• 1. Which type of cuticle scale pattern is never found in
humans?
• 2. Which type of scale pattern is most common in humans?
• 3. What 3 things do forensic scientist examine in the cortex?
• 4. If the meduallry index of a hair found at a crime scene is
0.30, is this hair human?
• 5. Which race of people have a continuous meduall pattern?
• 6. Which hair growth phase can last up to 6 years?
• 7. During which stage does the shaft fall out naturally?
• 8. During which stage is the root elongated?
• 9. When pulled from the follicle, a ___ can contain DNA.
• 10. What is the difference between Caucasianoid and Negroid
hair?
• 1. Which 3 morphological characteristics are used to
compare hair?
• 2. True or False, hair morphology analysis is more than
presumptive, and can lead to convictions w/o DNA evidence.
• 3. What percent of morphological hair matches are nonmatches?
• 4. Which microscope provides the greatest detail of both
surface and interior?
• 5. True or False, drugs like marijuana can be detected by
testing the chemical composition of hair.
• 6. What is the growth rate for human hair?
• 7. What is the most common type of plant fiber?
• 8. Name one source of animal fibers.
• 9. Fibers are made up of ___, which have many strands.
• 10. What six factors are used to I.D. fiber types?
• 1. What are the 2 main components of blood?
• 2. Plasma is primarily made up of ____. It also includes what
other components?
• 3. What 3 cell types are found in blood?
• 4. Which blood cells contain surface antigens that are
responsible for blood types?
• 5. Every human cell contains __ chromosomes, except for sex
cells.
• 6. What are alleles?
• 7. What is the difference between genotype and phenotype?
• 8. What is the difference between hetero and homozygous?
• 9. If 1 parent is type AA, and another is type BB, what is the
probability they will have a child who is AB?
• 10. Who developed the current blood type system?
• 11. Were blood transfusions safe prior to 1901?
• 12. Which antigen is a.k.a the RH factor?
• 1. __ is a substance that stimulates body to produce
antibodies against it.
• 2. If your body makes anti-A antibodies, what blood type(s)
could you be?
• 3. If antigen A is exposed to type A antibodies what will
occur?
• 4. What are the 2 most prevalent blood groups in the United
States?
• 5. What 3 questions must be answered when we find a blood
like stain at a crime scene?
• 6. What test took the place of the benzidine test, and what
part of blood does it interact with?
• 7. Which type of blood test uses distilled water?
• 8. Which test will cause the illumination of blood?
• 9. If we are performing the precipitin test, and precipitation
occurs, what does this mean?
• 10. What antigen is tested in paternity cases?
• 1. If you weigh 200lbs, how much of your weight is due to blood (in
lbs)?
• 2. How much blood would you have to lose before you experience
cardiac shock/arrest?
• 3. What shape is blood when it flies thru the air?
• 4. How does it maintain this shape?
• 5. T or F, a moving source produces larger droplets.
• 6. What types of drops are affected by gravity alone?
• 7. What types of drops leave the source at higher speeds?
• 8. What are the 3 types of impact spatter?
• 9. If a blood stain is 3mm wide, it was traveling at about what
speed?
• 10. If a drop of blood has equal length and width, what is the AOI?
• 11. Is an AOI of 110 degrees possible?
• 12.What is the Point of Convergence?
• 13. What is the Point of Origin formula?
• 14. Would a 10° blood stain be wider or narrower than a 70°?
Semester 2
• 1. What type of DNA is non-coding?
• 2. What type of DNA codes for proteins?
• 3. A,T,G,&C are ___ bases that form the backbone of DNA
strands.
• 4. How does DNA direct the process of protein synthesis?
• 5. In general, how many bases are needed to code for an amino
acid?
• 6. What is the difference between normal and sickle cell
hemoglobin proteins?
• 7. __ studies the number and appearance of chromosomes?
• 8. Who discovered DNA profiling?
• 9. How did scientists determine Josef Mengele’s whereabouts?
• 10. List 5 out of 7 reasons as to why DNA is useful in forensics.
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1. From what 3 sources can we obtain mucosal surface DNA?
2. From what source can we obtain digestive cell DNA?
3. Can mutations in junk DNA be tolerated?
4. What percent of DNA do humans have in common?
5. The RFLP method uses what to cut DNA strands?
6. T or F, RFLP cuts DNA into equal lengths.
7. Explain what a tandem repeat is.
8. How do we visualize DNA evidence?
9. Negatively charged DNA moves in the direction of a ___ charged
anode.
10. Which DNA strands move faster?
11. What is the probability 2 people have the same DNA profile?
12. What reads the DNA sample during the STR process?
13. What are some ways DNA can be denatured?
14. How can we preserve DNA samples?
15. What are 4 ways we can extract DNA?
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1. What is the difference between a cartridge and a bullet?
2. What are the tiny particles left behind from a gunshot?
3. What is the difference between a land and a groove?
4. List the six questions that ballistics must answer.
5. Where was gunpowder invented?
6. What general was shot by his own men in 1863?
7. Who invented the comparison microscope?
8. What are the 2 differences between a rifle and shotgun?
9. How many rounds can the typical revolver hold?
10. A semiautomatic fires __ round(s) every time you pull the
trigger.
• 11. What are the 4 parts to a cartridge?
• 12. Which round is larger, a .22cal or a .50cal?
• 13. What is the barrel diameter of a .40cal pistol? (include units)
• 1. What 2 types of equipment are used in test firing rounds from
suspect firearms?
• 2. What is the difference between a single action and double action
revolver?
• 3. What rifle incorporates a bolt?
• 4. Which rifle incorporates a lever?
• 5. What is the proper name for a pump shotgun?
• 6. What 2 features work together to remove the casing from the
chamber?
• 7. What is the name of the plastic that holds shot?
• 8. What are shotgun shell casings usually made of?
• 9. What type of projectile decreases its diameter as it moves toward
the tip?
• 10. Which type of bullet has a jacket that encloses the core?
• 11. What is a cannelure?
• 12. Which type of round has a hole in the nose?
• 1. What are the 4 types of markings left on spent cartridges?
• 2. When classifying ballistics evidence, what are the 3 types of
class?
• 3. When classifying ballistics evidence, what are the 3 types of
individual?
• 4. GSR contains ___ that can stick to the victim or the shooter.
• 5. T or F, the farther away a shooter is from a victim, the more
GSR that will be found on the victim’s clothing.
• 6. What 2 aspects of GSR make it important?
• 7. Why is trajectory important to ballistics?
• 8. To calculate trajectory, you need at least 2 ___ ___.
• 9. What 2 physical forces act on trajectory of a bullet?
• 10. Why are exit wounds always larger that entry wounds?
• 1. Which case in 1897, put forensic anthropology “on the map”, and
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what did the suspect do?
2. In 1939, who published a guidebook for distinguishing remains?
3. Which cell type turn cartilage into bone, a process called
ossification?
4. Bone is made up of ___, the framework of osseous material.
5. ___ are cells that specializing in breaking down old bone material.
6. The answer to #5 also helps maintain ___ levels in the body.
7. How many bones are in the adult skeleton?
8. What 3 types of connective tissue are found near joints?
9. What is the difference between tendons and ligaments?
10. What 4 things can be determined by an osteobiography?
11. What is the difference in orbit shapes between M and F?
12. What is the difference in mandible shapes between M and F?
13. An occipital protuberance indicates the gender is ___.
14. The pubic angle of females is always ___ than 90 degrees.
15. What is the difference in pelvic cavity shape in M and F?