Science of Forensics

Forensics refers to the law, and forensic science uses applied principles of biology, physics, chemistry and other scientific methods to solve legal issues, often pertaining to a crime scene investigation. A forensic scientist might be called upon as an expert witness to give testimony in court.

Forensic Pathology

Forensic pathology attempts to determine the cause of a person's death through a thorough physical and surgical examination of a cadaver. An autopsy is performed by a trained forensic pathologist, or medical examiner. Forensic pathologists identify diseases and injuries to the body and collect hair and fluid samples for further analysis.

Clinical Forensic Pathology

Forensic pathologists must train as medical doctors before they become pathologists. Because forensic pathologists are experts in determining causes of injury, they often examine living patients to help determine if an injury is from abuse or neglect as opposed to an accident. Clinical forensic pathologists are most often called in to perform an examination when foul play is suspected.

Forensic Toxicology

Forensic toxicology studies the effects of drugs and poisons on the human body to determine how these substances might have caused death. The forensic pathologist will send tissue samples to a forensic toxicologist to determine whether any toxin contributed or caused death.

Forensic Anthropology

Forensic anthropology is a branch of anthropology that applies forensic skills to human skeletal remains. Forensic anthropologists must be experts in the study of bones, because they typically have no soft tissue to work with. They must apply both forensic and anthropological techniques to determine the cause of death and are often brought in on legal cases.

Source:

All-About-Forensic-Science.com

Explore Forensics: Forensic Pathology

Forensic Science Careers

Resource:

National Association of Medical Examiners: What is clinical forensic pathology?

CSI: Web Adventures

Forensic Anthropology and Human Osteology Resources