Forensics Exam

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A fact is a statement of information that can be verified

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True

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What we perceive about persons depends, in part, on their mannerisms and gestures

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True

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Through our senses of sight, taste, hearing, smell, and touch, we gather information every single moment about what is around us

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True

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Our emotional state influences our ability to see and hear what is happening around us

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True

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The first task of forensic scientists is to find, examine, and evaluate evidence from a crime

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True

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One of the most important tools of the forensic investigator is the ability to

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observe, interpret, and report observations clearly

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Perception is:

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faulty, not always accurate, and does not always reflect reality

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Criminal investigations depend on the observation skills of all involved. Those involved include

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witnesses

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Forensic derives from the Latin word, forensis, which means

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of the forum

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Forensic sciecne is strictly concerned with uncovering evidence that

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stands as fact

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A psychologist who has spent the last 50 years studying face, Paul Ekman is a leading expert on

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facial analysis and deception

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Paul Ekman's early research led to a major discovery that changed how scientists view human expression. He found that our expressions are

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both learned and biologically programmed

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The verbal testimony of a forensic scientist alone may not be entered into evidence withouth

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the proper documentation

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Whether observing at a crime scene or examining collected evidence in the laboratory, the forensic examiner must be able to

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identify the evidence, record the evidence and determine the significance of the evidence

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A person who has seen someone or something and can communicate these facts is

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an eyewitness

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When evaluating eyewitness testimony, the investigator must discriminate between fact and

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opinion

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To ensure all evidence is found, a crime scene is usually laid out in a

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grid

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An interesting aspect of our perception is that we

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believe what we see and hear, even though our ability to be accurate is flawed

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Eyewitness accounts of crime-scene events vary considerably from one person to another. What you observe depends on your level of

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interest, stress, and concentration and the amount and kind of distraction that may be present

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The process of forming conclusions from assumptions and known facts is

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logic

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What a person perceives using his or her senses if an

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observation

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A personal belief founded on judgement rather than on direct experience or knowledge is

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opinion

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Interpreting information received from the senses is a

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perception

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Deriving the consequences from the facts using a series of logical steps is

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deductive reasoning

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A crime scene investigator usually does not have to obtain a degree in CSI through either a college degree program or a certification program

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False

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An evidence log and chain of custody must be attached to the evidence container

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True

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Evidence that (if true) proves an alleged fact is called direct evidence

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True

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A kind of evidence that identifies a particular person or thing is called individual evidence

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True

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Detectives look for leads by interviewing witnesses and talking to the crime scene investigators about the evidence

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True

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The goal of a crime scene investigation is to

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recognize, document and collect evidence at the scene of a crime

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Direct evidence includes

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evidence

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Circumstantial evidence is

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indirect evidence that can be used to imply a fact, but does not directly prove it

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Trace evidence is a type of circumstantial evidence, examples of which include

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hair found on a brush, fingerprints found on a glass, and blood drops on a shirt

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The CSI team is made up of

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legal and scientific professionals who work together to solve a crime

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Specialists at a crime scene include

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entomologists, forensic scientists and forensic psychologists

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The first to arrive at a crime scene are usually

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police officers

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Medical examiners are called:

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coroners

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Crime scene investigators include

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recorders to record the data, sketch artists to sketch the scene, and photographers to take photos of the scene

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Securing the crime scene is the responsibility of the first responding

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police officer.

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All evidence needs to be properly packaged, sealed, and labeled. Liquids and arson remains are stored in

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airtight unbreakable containers

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The forensic lab processes all of the evidence the crime scene investigation collected to determine the

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facts of the case

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Crime scene reconstruction involved forming a hypothesis of the sequence of events from before the crime was committed:

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through its commission

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Whenever two people come into contact with each other, a physical transfer occurs. To a forensic examiner, these transferred materials constitute what is called:

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secondary transfer

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The first police officer at a crime scene is known as the

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first responder

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A folded paper used to hold evidence is a

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bindle

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The location where the crime took place is a

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crime scene

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The documented and unbroken transfer of evidence is a

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chain of custody

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A location other than the primary crime scene, but in some way related to the crime, where evidence is found is the

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secondary scene

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A hair consists of two parts: follicle and shaft

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True

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Bits of pigment found in the cortex of a hair is called melanin granules

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True

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The hair shaft is made up of 3 layers, outer medulla, cortex and inner cuticle

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False

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The cuticle is a transparent inner layer of the hair shaft

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False

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In humans the cortex is the largest part of the hair shaft

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True

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The region of hair located outside of the medulla containing melanin granules of pigment is called

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the cortex

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A type of fibrous protein that makes up the majority of the cortex of a hair is:

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Keratin

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Hair can adhere to clothes, carpets, and many other surfaces and be transferred to other locations. This is called

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secondary transfer

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Investigators recognized the importance of analysis of hair as

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trace evidence in criminal investigations in the late 1800s

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A classic 1883 test on forensic science, The Principles and Practice of Medical Jurisprudence by Alfred Swaine Taylor and Thomas Stevenson contains a chapter on using

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hair in forensic investigation

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In 1910 a comprehensive study of hair titled The Hair of Man and Animals was published by the French forensic scientists, Victor Balthazard and Marcelle Lambert. This text includes numerous microscopic studies of hair from:

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most animals

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All mammals have hair. Its main purpose is to:

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regulate body temperature - to keep the body warm by insulating it.

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When humans are born, they have about:

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5 million hair follicles, only 2% of which are on their head

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Hair viewed for forensic investigations is studied both macroscopically and microscopically. Microscopic characteristics include the:

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pattern of the medulla, pigmentation of the cortex, and types of scales on the cuticle

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Many dyes and other hair treatments will fluoresce under a certain color (wavelength) of light. In a fluorescence microscope, a beam of light of a certain color is used. If the sample contains particular chemicals, it will absorb some of the light and reemit light of a different color. This is called:

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flourescence

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Since hair grows out of the skin, chemicals that the skin absorbs can become incorporated into hair. Ingested or absorbed toxins can be detected by chemical analyses of hair. These ingested toxins include:

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arsenic, lead and drugs

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If hair is forcibly removed form a victim, the entire hair follicle may be present. This is called a:

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follicular tag

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Animal hair and human hair have several differences including

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the pattern of pigmentation, the medullary index, and the cuticle type

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The central core of a hair fiber is called the

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medulla

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Forensic scientists distinguish ___ types of hair on the human body.

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6

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Hair proceeds through ____ stages as it develops.

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3

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The cuticle of human hair is described as

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imbricate

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Whenever two objects are in contact, some transfer of material will occur. This is known as

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Locard's Exchange Principle

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Hair is considered:

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class evidence

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The most common type of regenerated fiber, which is derived from cellulose and is mostly plant in origin, is rayon

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True

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Synthetic polymer fibers, which all originate with petroleum products, are cellulose-based fibers.

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False

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Polyester has properties similar to nylon except it is easily broken down by light and concentrated acids.

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False

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A disadvantage of synthetic fibers is that they can deteriorate in bright sunlight and melt at a lower temperature than natural fibers.

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True

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Fibers are woven into textiles or fabrics

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True

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Fibers that have been spun together are called

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yarn

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A small molecule that May bond to other monomers to become a polymer is a:

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monomer

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When fibers are transferred directly from victim to suspect or suspect to victim, this is called:

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direct transfer

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The transfer of evidence such as a fiber from a source to a person, then to another person, is called:

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secondary transfer

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Early collection of fibers in an investigation is critical. Within 24 hours, an estimated:

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95% of all fibers may have fallen from a victim or been lost from a crime scene

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A forensic scientist will ask questions about:

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type of fiber, fiber color, number of fibers found

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Fiber evidence is gathered with:

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special vacuums, sticky tape, and tweezers

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Two methods that can analyze fibers without damaging then are:

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polarizing light microscopy and infrared spectorscopy

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Fibers are classified as either

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natural fibers or synthetic fibers

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Natural fibers come from:

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animals, plants, minerals that are mined from the ground

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Natural plant fibers are produced by:

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seeds, fruits, stems, and leaves

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All plant fibers share the common polymer that is

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cellulose

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One seed fiber is

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cotton

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Fiberglass is a fiber form of

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glass

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Until the nineteenth century, only plant or animal fibers were used to make clothing and textiles. Half the fibers produced today are synthetic. They are categorized as:

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regenerated fibers and polymers

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Weave patterns have names like tabby, twill and

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basket

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The simplest weave pattern is the plain, ______ weave

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tabby

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The number of threads that are packed together for any given amount of fabric is known as

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thread count

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Name any four synthetic fibers

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rayon, polyester, nylon, acrylic

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Patent fingerprints, or visible fingerprints, are left on a smooth surface when blood, ink, or some other liquid come in contact with the hands and is then transferred to that surface

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True

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Plastic fingerprints are actual indentations left in some soft material such as clay, wax or putty.

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True

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Latent fingerprints, or surface fingerprints are caused by the transfer of skin onto a surface.

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False

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As soon as fingerprints were discovered to be a reliable means of identification, criminals began to devise ways to alter them so they could avoid being identified. American Public Enemy Number One in the 1930s, John Dillinger, burned his fingertips with a torch to change their appearance

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False

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Contrary to what we see on TV, fingerprint matching is not carried out by a computer in a matter of seconds

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True

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"Smiling Gus" Winkler, a gangster, thought he could stay ahead of the police by:

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surgically altering his fingertips

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In Chicago, "Smiling Gus" Winkler met up with some of Chicago's most famous gangsters. They included:

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Fred "Killer" Burke, Al Capone and Bugsy Moran

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In 1933, looking out for himself, Winkler turned in evidence on his buddies, and was key to returning some of the loot from the Lincoln Trust Bank robbery. That did not sit well with his friends, and in 1933,

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he was gunned down by unknown assailants

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Pudd'nhead Wilson is a lawyer created by Mark Twain in the novel of the same name, published in November of 1894. In his final address to a jury, Lawyer Wilson exhibits his knowledge of the cutting edge technology of the day:

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fingerprints as forensic evidence.

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Fingerprint collection began in 1856 by:

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Sir William Herschel

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In 1879, the assistant clerk in the record office at the Police Station in Paris created a way to identify criminals. The system was first used in 1883 to identify a repeating offender. His name is:

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Alphonse Bertillion

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In 1888, Sir Francis Galton, along with Sir ER Henry developed the classification system for fingerprints that is still in use today in:

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the United States and Europe

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Beginning in 1896, Sir ER Henry, with the help of two colleagues, created a system that divided fingerprint records into groups based on whether they have:

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an arch, a loop, or a whorl pattern

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The imprint of a fingerprint consists of natural secretions of the sweat glands that are present

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in the friction ridge of the skin

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Fingerprint characteristics are named for their general visual appearance and patterns. These are called:

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loops, whorls, and arches

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Two things a forensic examiner looks for on a fingerprint are the presence of a core and:

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deltas

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Fingerprint whorl patterns may be:

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plain whorl, central pocket loop whorl, and double loop whorl

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Fingerprint arches may be:

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plain arches

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While looking at the basic fingerprint patterns can quickly help eliminate a suspect, in order to positively match a print found at a crime scene to an individual, more is needed. Every individual, including identical twins, has a unique fingerprint due to unique ridge patterns called:

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minutiae

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To recover a fingerprint from a surface that is not smooth and hard requires different chemicals. The chemical used purely for paper is

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ninhydrin

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A Hungarian immigrant currently living and working in Canada, is an art conservator who, in 1984, was the first to make studies of the fingerprints left behind by artists. After years of careful study, he began using these marks as a means of identifying artists of paintings. His name is

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Peter Paul Biro

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Dr. Sue Jickells is doing research to ask how things criminals may touch, such as explosives, cigarettes, and drugs, can leave behind traces on the skin. When identified and studied, these trace substances could tell us much more about the lives of fingerprint donors that just their

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identities

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Many experts claim that fingerprint identification is flawless. However, it is humans that input and analyze the information, and humans make mistakes. In 1995, 156 fingerprint examiners were given a test. One in 5 examiners made at least one _______ identification.

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faulty

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There are about ____ individual ridge characteristics on the average full fingerprint.

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150

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In western culture, the earliest record of the study of the patterns on human hands comes from:

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1684

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Because each DNA molecule is composed of two strands, DNA is known as a double helix

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True

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Population genetics is the study of the variation in genes among a group of individuals

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True

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To calculate the percentage of people who have a particular allele, population studies are conducted to collect data

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True

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Since DNA is evidence that is capable of identifying a specific person, it is known as trace evidence.

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False

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When the amount of evidence left at a crime scene is very small, it is considered to be individual evidence.

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False

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Except for identical twins, no two people on earth have the same:

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DNA

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Biological evidence is used in forensics for identification purposes. Biological evidence includes:

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blood, saliva, urine

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The analysis of chromosomes, which was originally developed by geneticists, is known as:

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karyotyping

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Genetic information is stored in molecules of DNA making up structures called

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chromosomes

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If you tease apart a human chromosome, you will see that it is made up of:

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2 strands of DNA

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James Watson and Francis Crick received the 1953 Nobel Prize for their work on describing the structure of DNA--:

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a double helix that resembles a twisted ladder

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In the nucleus of most human body cells, there are

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23 pairs of chromosomes

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DNA in chromosomes is called

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nuclear DNA

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One of two or more alternative forms of a gene is

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an allele

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DNA sequences that have instructions for making a protein molecule that determines out inherited characteristics or traits such as blood type or enzyme production are:

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genes

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The total amount of DNA in a cell, which is contained in chromosomes and mitochondria, is called the human:

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genome

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The DNA in chromosomes contains approximately:

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3 billion base pairs

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In 1984, Dr. Alec Jeffreys at the University of Leicester observed that DNA from different individuals contains different polymorphisms. His laboratory developed a technique for isolating and analyzing these variable areas that is known as:

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DNA fingerprinting

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Within the non-coding sections of DNA, certain short sequences of DNA are repeated

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multiple times

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DNA sequences with a high degree of polymorphism are

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most useful for DNA analysis

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Molecular scissors that cut DNA at specific base sequences are called

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restriction enzymes

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The method of separating the molecules within an electric field, based on their size, is called

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electrophoresis

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A molecule labeled with a radioactive isotope, dye or enzyme, that is used to locate a particular sequence or gene on a DNA molecule, is called a

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DNA probe

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A method used to rapidly make multiple copies of a specific segment of DNA is called

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PCR

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Tandem repeats of short DNA sequences (2-5 pairs) with varying numbers of repeats between individuals is called

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STR

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Blood has been studied to one degree or another for thousands of years

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True

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In 1728, Sir William Harvey determined that there was a continuous circulation of blood within the body

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False

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Sir William Osler discovered platelets in 1874

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True

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Dr. Max Perutz described the structure of hemoglobin in 1959

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True

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Blood is the circulating tissue consisting of two types of cells: red blood cells and platelets

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False

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Red blood cells (erythrocytes

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carry respiratory gases, mainly oxygen and CO2

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The immune system functions to protect our bodies by identifying cells or molecules that are foreign, such as:

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viruses, bacteria, and parasites

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White blood cells secrete proteins:

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known as antibodies, which assist in the immune response

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In 1982, white blood cells were used as a source of DNA by Dr. Alec Jeffreys to produce the first:

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DNA profile

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Blood typing is less expensive and quicker for analyzing blood evidence than DNA profiling. Since many different people share the same type, this blood evidence is considered to be

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class evidence

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In 1900, Karl Landsteiner found that the blood from one person

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did not always freely mix with blood from another person

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The presence or absence of particular proteins, found embedded within a cell or plasma membranes of red blood cells, determines a person's:

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blood type

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Each blood type is determined by:

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an antibody reaction test

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A and B proteins are found on the surface of some red blood cells. If a person's blood contains both the A and the B proteins, then he or she has:

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type AB blood

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In 1940, Alexander Weiner, working with Rhesus monkeys, noticed another type of red cell protein. This red cell protein, called Rh factor, is on the red blood cells of:

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85% of the human population

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Of the four main human blood types using the ABO system, the largest percentage of the US population is:

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Type A

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The presence of different blood types was discovered in:

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1902

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When a foreign invader is recognized by the immune system, an attack is launched against the invader. White blood cells recognize a substance as foreign and try to destroy it. The foreign invaders may be:

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viruses, bacteria, red blood cell proteins from a different person with a different blood type

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There are over 300 known blood group proteins and over:

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1,000,000 different protein binding sites on each red blood cell

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Today blood spatter evidence is used to explain events at

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a violent scene

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Given blood spatter patterns, it is possible to determine the direction the blood was traveling, the angle of impact, and the point

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of convergence/origin

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If any of the blood does overcome cohesion and separate from the main droplet of blood, it will from small secondary droplets known as

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satellites

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If blood lands on a porous surface, such as wood or ceiling tile, then the edge of the drop of blood may from extensions or small

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spikes

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A force between two unlike surfaces, such as blood and the surface of a wall, is

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adhesion

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An elastic characteristic along the outer edge of a liquid, caused by the attraction of like molecules, is

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surface tension

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A drug or other chemical compound, whose manufacture, distribution, possession, and use is regulated by the legal system, is a controlled substance

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True

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A drug used to relieve pain without causing loss of consciousness is a narcotic

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False

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Toxicology is the study of poisons and the identification of drugs and other substances a person may have used for medicinal purposed only

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False

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Toxic substances are also classified by how people are exposed to them. By definition, people may be exposed intentionally, accidentally, or deliberately

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True

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The Greek philosopher, Sophocles, was one of the earliest reported victims of poisoning

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True

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Although poisoning is popular in murder mysteries and detective stories, it is

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not a common form of murder

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Bulgarian dissident, Georgi Markov was killed in 1978 by

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ricin

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Today the commonly used poisons include

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arsenic, cyanide, strychnine

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Acute poisoning is due to:

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a high dose over a short period of time

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Accidental deaths from drug overdoses are more common than deaths from poisoning. Those whose deaths were linked to lethal drug combinations or overdoses are:

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John Belushi, Chris Farley, Steve Clark

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Controlled substances are defined as:

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legal drugs whose sale, possession, and use are restricted because of the mind-altering effect of the drugs and the potential for abuse

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Arrests for drug abuse violations have been

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increasing steadily since the early 1990s

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Hallucinogens are:

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often derived from plants

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LSD was originally found in a fungus that grows on rye and other grains in 1948 and it one of the most potent mind-changing chemicals. It is

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odorless, colorless, tasteless

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PCP is available in a number of forms. It may be:

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powder, tablet, or capsule

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Narcotics act to

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reduce pain my suppressing the central nervous system's ability to relay pain messages to the brain

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Stimulants:

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increase feelings of energy and alertness, while suppressing appetite

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Anabolic steroids

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promote cell and tissue growth and division

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Organic toxins are:

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poisonous substances produced by living organisms

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Botulism is the:

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most poisonous biological substance known to man

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Clostridium tetani is the bacteria that produces ______, a potentially deadly nervous system disease.

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tetanus

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A component of the waste product of the manufacture of castor oil from castor beans is

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ricin

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A bacterium, Bacillus antracis that forms spores causes

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anthrax

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Drugs, such as barbiturates and benzodiazepines that relieve anxiety and produce sleep are called

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depressants

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The degree to which a substance is poisonous or can cause injury is

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toxicity

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