New Notes Forensic Scuence Bio Ial 4
New Notes Forensic Scuence Bio Ial 4
New Notes Forensic Scuence Bio Ial 4
Explain how the pathologist could use the core temperature of the body and
the ambient temperature to make this estimate more accurate.
State one other factor that could affect the pathologist’s estimate. Explain
how this factor could affect the estimate.
Forensic entomologists use information on insect life cycles to estimate the time
of death. The hister beetle is an insect that may be found on a body.
The life cycle of this beetle consists of five stages:
● egg
● first instar larva
● second instar larva
● pupa
● adult beetle.
The time taken for each of these stages depends on temperature.
Describe an investigation that could be carried out to study the effect of
temperature on each of these stages.
Explain why the pathologist inserted the temperature probe into the liver
immediately
Explain how additional information about the insects and the body can be used to
determine the time of death of this mammal.
1. idea of using the life cycle stage of the insects as these will
change with time after death ;
2. idea of using the state of decomposition as the changes occur
in a certain order / eq;
3. idea of using { ambient / environmental / eq } temperature as
the rate of { insect development / decomposition / rigor / core
temperature / eq } depends on temperature ;
4. because (core / ambient) temperature affects enzyme activity
/ eq ;
5. idea of using { core / body / eq } temperature as this changes
with time after death ;
6. idea of using extent of rigor ;
7. idea of using the effect of { position / covering / size / eq } on
body temperature;
8. idea of combining several pieces of information to arrive at
estimate ;
When the dead cubs were discovered, there were adult blow flies on their bodies and blow
fly eggs in their wounds. why some of the eggs were preserved in alcohol.
idea that they could be examined at a later stage ;
prevent decomposition
Suggest why some of the blow fly eggs were incubated with bear liver.
Suggest why all the eggs do not hatch at the same time.
time that the eggs were laid
species of blow fly
genotypes / genetic diversity / genetic make up / alleles
metabolic rates
development rate of egg
temperature (ambient / each bear / body parts)
length of life cycle
Explain why the time taken for the eggs to hatch is dependent on the temperature.
1. idea that the scientists did not know how dark it was before
blow flies stop laying eggs ;
2. idea that the body temperature drops after death ;
3. idea that the ambient temperature changes (between time of death
and when the scientists measured it) ;
4. idea that {there is a range of hatching times / do not know when the
eggs were laid / there were different species of blow fly} ;
Explain why it is necessary to use several pieces of information to determine the time of
death of an organism
Explain why the information is needed to calculate the time of death of this body.