UNIT 2 POSTMORTEM CHANGES

Question 1

Lack of ATP regeneration and increased acidity result in the formation of ____________

Answer 1

locking chemical bridges between actin and myosin

Question 2

rigor mortis Sets within __________ (head & neck) initially notable in the small muscles (i.e. jaw) followed by larger muscle groups
(i.e. legs)

Answer 2

2 hrs after death

Question 3

livor mortis Fully evident within ______ and fixed in approx. _____

Answer 3

• 4 hrs
• 8-12 hrs

Question 4

is pink to purple discoloration of the skin from blood pooling in
dependent areas of the body

Answer 4

Lividity

Question 5

livor mortis is spared in these areas due to localized pressure
preventing blood from entering the skin

Answer 5

Blanching

Question 6

First demonstrable change after death is cooling of the body

Answer 6

Algor Mortis

Question 7

Other Postmortem Changes:

Answer 7

4. Postmortem clotting of blood
5. Discoloration of tissues
6. Autolysis and Putrefaction
7. Dessication (Tache Noir)

Question 8

Algor Mortis At room temp:

Answer 8

▪ 2 to 2.5 °F/hr – 1
st hour
▪ 1.5 to 2 °F/hr – next 12 hours
▪ 1 °F/hr – next 12-18 hours

Question 9

Blackened or dark mummified looking tissue

Answer 9

Postmortem drying (Dessication)

Question 10

Subtle form of livor mortis in the form of petechial
hemorrhage

Answer 10

Tardieu spots

Question 11

Refers to a continuum of changes that occur in a dead body following death

Answer 11

POSTMORTEM CHANGES

Question 12

increases lactic acidosis

Answer 12

Hypoxia

Question 13

temperature

Answer 13

“Algor”

Question 14

the study of how organisms decay
and become fossilized in the archeological record

Answer 14

Taphonomy

Question 15

Not a reliable indicator as to the time of death

Answer 15

Algor Mortis

Question 16

Blood supply gravitates to the skin vessels which becomes toneless and
dilate after circulation cease

Answer 16

Livor Mortis or Postmortem (Lividity) Hypostasis

Question 17

petechial form of hemorrhage in the skin

Answer 17

Tardien spots aka: Tardieu petechiae, Tardieu spots

Question 18

Rigidity of the body due to hardening of the skeletal muscles caused by a
series of physiochemical events after death

Answer 18

RIGOR MORTIS

Question 19

Tache noir is often initially ___ in appearance and over time
becomes black

Question 20

parts that darken with postmortem drying

Answer 20

Lips, tip of tongue, and scrotum

Question 21

Horizontal linear scleral blackening along the equator of the
globe of the eye

Answer 21

Tache noir de la sclerotique

Question 22

As a rule, the body cools at

Answer 22

1.5 °F/hr (50% of cases)

Question 23

occurs in gravity dependent areas of the body that come into
contact with firm surfaces (i.e. floor, tight clothing)

Answer 23

Blanching

Question 24

The interlocking is fixed and produces rigor mortis without
_______ of the muscle

Answer 24

shortening

Question 25

rigor mortis dissipates after approximately

Answer 25

36-48 hours

Question 26

livor mortis Becomes evident as early as

Answer 26

20 minutes after death

Question 27

are purple to black spots on the skin that can develop along with lividity, from the rupture of capillaries due to the increased pressure as the blood is settling down into the capillary bed of the skin. Most of the time it turns black when the terminal time interval has passed.

Answer 27

Tardieu spots

Question 28

large ecchymosis in the area

Answer 28

Tadien spots:

Question 29

Blood gravitates to the most dependent part of the body; flows/pools to the lowest parts

Answer 29

Livor Mortis

Question 30

Due to depletion of ATP and accumulation of lactic acid; in a dead body, the glycogen stores in the muscles and liver are consumed and rapidly depleted, preventing the energy dependent breakage of

Answer 30

sarcomere contraction

Question 31

, subpleural spots of ecchymosis that follow the death of a newborn child by strangulation or suffocation, were first described by Tardieu in 1859, and were so named in his hono

Answer 31

Tardieu’s ecchymoses

Question 32

Mummification or drying of the skin and mucous membranes

Answer 32

Dessication (Tache Noir)

Question 33

Autolysis and Putrefaction is noticable around

Answer 33

3 or more days

Question 34

Livor Mortis is evident as deep _______- discoloration in the skin and internal organs

Answer 34

purple-red

Question 35

Also called dependent lividity

Answer 35

Livor Mortis

Question 36

Fixed rigor mortis of the upper extremities wherein the arms are suspended against gravity indicating they were previously held in that position while rigor was fixing.

Answer 36

ANTIGRAVITATIONAL RIGOR MORTIS

Question 37

rigor mortis is complete and fully fixed after approximately

Answer 37

6-12 hours