Revised 10/2003
ADJ 275 - Forensic Pathology (3 CR.)
Course Description
Introduces the pathology and physiology of the human body with emphasis on scientific name and technique used in medico-legal investigations of death. Students will study types of death, the mechanisms of death and death reflex, and determining cause of death by postmortem examination. Lecture 3 hours per week.
General Course Purpose
The purpose of this course is to provide the student with an overview of forensic death investigations.
Course Prerequisites/Corequisites
None.
Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- Describe the component of medico-legal investigations and implications of death investigations with respect to the roles and responsibilities of the different forensic disciplines
- Demonstrate knowledge of forensic medico-legal terminology and the scientific techniques used in death investigations
- Describe the characteristics that differentiate the manner, cause, and mechanisms of death
Major Topics to Be Included
- Medico-legal death investigation
- Post-mortem changes
- Natural causes of death
- Blunt force trauma
- Cranio-cerebral injuries
- Sharp force injuries
- Asphyxial deaths
- Transportation related deaths
- Environmental causes of death such as: fire, carbon monoxide, drowning, hypothermia, etc.
- Child death