ASM 275 UPDATED EXAMS SCRIPT QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Diaphysis - ✔✔primary center of ossification (bone formation)
✔✔Epiphysis - ✔✔secondary centers of ossification
✔✔Metaphysis - ✔✔that part of the long bone that flares and expands in width to
accommodate the growing epiphyses
✔✔Trabecular Bone/Diploe - ✔✔Trabecular Bone: spongy bone inside of skeletal
elements
Dipole: the spongy cancellous bone separating the inner and outer layers of the cortical
bone of the skull
✔✔Cortical Bone - ✔✔dense bone on surfaces of skeletal elements
✔✔Sources of Variation in Human Skeleton - ✔✔Age
Sex
Ancestry: local adaptation & evolutionary forces
Muscularity, conditioning - may affect muscle attachments
Occupational - habitual activities may cause deviations from the norm
Pathology: study of disease
, Congenital diseases
Infectious diseases
Health, dietary changes
Idiosyncratic Genetic Variants
Cultural factors
✔✔Establishing Forensic Context - ✔✔1) Is it bone at all? 2) Is it human bone? Human
versus non-human bone. How can we tell? *Changes in human skeleton due to
bipedalism that can help differentiate human bone from animal bone *Histological
differences, general differences *Common mistakes/confusion in telling human bone
apart from non-human bone. 3) If it is human, is it of medicolegal significance? *Know
the five factors to help you assess if the remains are contemporary (state of
preservation, body modification, unintentional body changes, personal
belongings/material culture, conditions of internment and context). Keep the examples
we discussed in class in mind.
✔✔Medicolegal Remains - ✔✔those for which cause & manner of death are determined
& a death certificate is generated
✔✔Cause of death - ✔✔disease or injury that initiates a sequence of events that result
in death
i.e. gunshot wound, blunt force trauma
✔✔Manner of death - ✔✔the manner in which the cause of death comes into being
i.e. homicide, suicide, natural, accident
✔✔Recovery Scene Methods - ✔✔Location: establishing the context -- Remote Sensing
(Aerial views
Infrared photography
Plant evidence
Magnetometer
Soil resistivity
Ground penetrating radar),
& Typical Forensic Investigation
(Cadaver dogs
Metal detectors
Site surface survey: visual inspection of area for remains (most common method) --
Smells & insects, Knowledge of human skeleton, Appreciation for bone's varied
appearance
Mapping: preserving the context
Excavation: uncover remains
Collection: remove remains for analysis
ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Diaphysis - ✔✔primary center of ossification (bone formation)
✔✔Epiphysis - ✔✔secondary centers of ossification
✔✔Metaphysis - ✔✔that part of the long bone that flares and expands in width to
accommodate the growing epiphyses
✔✔Trabecular Bone/Diploe - ✔✔Trabecular Bone: spongy bone inside of skeletal
elements
Dipole: the spongy cancellous bone separating the inner and outer layers of the cortical
bone of the skull
✔✔Cortical Bone - ✔✔dense bone on surfaces of skeletal elements
✔✔Sources of Variation in Human Skeleton - ✔✔Age
Sex
Ancestry: local adaptation & evolutionary forces
Muscularity, conditioning - may affect muscle attachments
Occupational - habitual activities may cause deviations from the norm
Pathology: study of disease
, Congenital diseases
Infectious diseases
Health, dietary changes
Idiosyncratic Genetic Variants
Cultural factors
✔✔Establishing Forensic Context - ✔✔1) Is it bone at all? 2) Is it human bone? Human
versus non-human bone. How can we tell? *Changes in human skeleton due to
bipedalism that can help differentiate human bone from animal bone *Histological
differences, general differences *Common mistakes/confusion in telling human bone
apart from non-human bone. 3) If it is human, is it of medicolegal significance? *Know
the five factors to help you assess if the remains are contemporary (state of
preservation, body modification, unintentional body changes, personal
belongings/material culture, conditions of internment and context). Keep the examples
we discussed in class in mind.
✔✔Medicolegal Remains - ✔✔those for which cause & manner of death are determined
& a death certificate is generated
✔✔Cause of death - ✔✔disease or injury that initiates a sequence of events that result
in death
i.e. gunshot wound, blunt force trauma
✔✔Manner of death - ✔✔the manner in which the cause of death comes into being
i.e. homicide, suicide, natural, accident
✔✔Recovery Scene Methods - ✔✔Location: establishing the context -- Remote Sensing
(Aerial views
Infrared photography
Plant evidence
Magnetometer
Soil resistivity
Ground penetrating radar),
& Typical Forensic Investigation
(Cadaver dogs
Metal detectors
Site surface survey: visual inspection of area for remains (most common method) --
Smells & insects, Knowledge of human skeleton, Appreciation for bone's varied
appearance
Mapping: preserving the context
Excavation: uncover remains
Collection: remove remains for analysis
