The New Childrens Encyclopedia

248

SCIENCE
CRIME SCENE DO NOT ENTER CRIME SCENE

Forensic science

Forensic science helps the police fight crime. Most people think of murder

investigations when they talk about forensics, but forensic scientists deal with

a range of crimes. Some are computer specialists who trace “cybercriminals”

on the Internet, for example, while others are art experts who identify forgeries.

CRIME SCENE

Crime scene investigators collect the evidence

at a crime scene. They look for any clues that might

secure a conviction, from bloodstains and body fluids

to fibers and footprints. Crime scene investigators

photograph all the evidence and then take it

back to the crime lab for further analysis.

Post mortem After any suspicious

death, a doctor called a pathologist

will do a post mortem. This involves

cutting open the body to find out the

cause and time of death. If the

corpse has been dead for a long

time, the time of death can be

established by studying the

kinds of insects present.

336 HOURS 0+ HOURS 50365 DAYS

Bacterial decay Bacteria start

to break down

the body. In

warm, moist

conditions, the

soft, fleshy parts

rot very quickly.

Rigor mortis There is a chemical

change in the muscles that makes

the corpse stiffen up. This starts

about three hours after death and

lasts about 36 hours.

024 HOURS

Insect invasion

Insects such as flies

lay eggs inside the

body. When the

larvae hatch, they

start to feed on the

rotting remains.

DEAD BODY TIMELINE

Bare bones All

that is left of

the dead body

are the hard

parts such as

the skull, teeth,

and bones.

 CRIME SCENE

Forensic scientists seal a body

inside a body bag. The corpse

will be stored at a mortuary

until the post mortem.