Forensic Biology Review Questions
Course Introduction
Forensic Biology is the study of the application of biological principles and techniques to legal investigations. This course covers topics such as DNA analysis, forensic serology, entomology, microbiology, and the examination of biological evidence like blood, hair, and body fluids. Students will learn the scientific methods used for collecting, preserving, and analyzing biological samples from crime scenes, as well as the interpretation of results in a forensic context. The course also emphasizes the ethical, legal, and procedural standards required in the field, preparing students for roles in criminal justice, law enforcement, and laboratory analysis.
Recommended Textbook
Criminalistics An Introduction to Forensic Science 12th Edition by Richard Saferstein
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20 Chapters
1894 Verified Questions
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Chapter 1: Introduction
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Sample Questions
Q1) The toxicology unit determines the alcoholic consumption of individuals.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) The federal government has no single law enforcement or investigative agency that has unlimited jurisdiction throughout the country.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q3) Which of the following services are typically provided to law enforcement by crime laboratories?
A) Pathology
B) Criminalistics
C) Odontology
D) Psychology
Answer: B
Q4) The physical science unit would perform soil and mineral analysis.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Page 3
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Chapter 2: The Crime Scene
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Sample Questions
Q1) List and describe the roles of the evidence collector at a crime scene.
Answer: Answer (should include points such as):
1)Handling physical evidence in a way that minimizes damage or contamination
2)Determining and utilizing the proper packaging material for evidence
3)Maintaining the chain of custody by using proper labeling and documentation methods for collected evidence
4)Collecting substrate/reference control specimens at the crime scene
Q2) What issues could arise if an investigator did not fulfill his or her obligation to handle,collect,and package crime scene evidence in a way that prevents changing or contaminating these items?
Answer: Answer (should include points such as):
Incorrectly handling,collecting,and packaging evidence could cause pieces of the evidence to be lost,damaged,or contaminated.When the evidence is analyzed,it could be misinterpreted or be unable to analyze at all.This is particularly pertinent when handling and packaging evidence from suspects,victims,and the scene separately.Transferring any evidence between these items could lead to incorrect conclusions about the events surrounding the crime.
Q3) The existence of emergency circumstances may justify a(n)________ search.
Answer: Warrantless
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Page 4
Chapter 3: Physical Evidence
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72 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Paint chips,random glass fragments,and synthetic fibers all exhibit:
A) Individual characteristics.
B) Class characteristics.
C) Identification characteristics.
D) Comparison characteristics.
Answer: B
Q2) Multiplying together the frequencies of independently occurring factors is called the: A) Multiplication rule.
B) Frequency rule.
C) Product rule.
D) Factor rule.
Answer: C
Q3) If the laboratory can piece broken glass from a window or headlight together,then the evidence has ________ characteristics.
Answer: Individual
Q4) The first step in ________ is determining which properties from the suspect and the standard/reference specimen to compare.
Answer: Comparison
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Crime Scene Reconstruction: Blood Stain Pattern
Analysis
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Sample Questions
Q1) Name two major limitations of crime scene reconstruction.
Q2) Drops propelled from a pointed surface will be smaller and the pattern more
Q3) If the distribution and pattern of bloodstains at a crime scene are not properly documented and analyzed,what potential information could be missed?
Q4) The deposition of backward spatter produced by a gunshot wound is determined by:
A) The location of the injury.
B) The size of the wound created.
C) The distance between the victim and the muzzle.
D) All of the above
Q5) Which weapon would create cast-off patterns consisting of small droplets in a linear pattern?
A) Baseball bat
B) Knife
C) Wooden plank
D) All of the above
Q6) Since droplets of high-velocity spatter are very small,they may not travel far.
A)True
B)False Page 6
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Page 7
Chapter 5: Death Investigation
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108 Verified Questions
108 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Explain the difference between autolysis and putrefaction.What are these processes dependent on?
Q2) Which is NOT a manner of death?
A) Natural
B) Drowning
C) Homicide
D) Suicide
Q3) The largest percentage of accidental deaths is due to:
A) Drug overdoses.
B) Drowning.
C) Fire.
D) Transportation accidents.
Q4) Beginning an hour after death,the body will lose heat at an approximate rate of:
A) 0 - 0.5°F per hour.
B) 0.5 - 1°F per hour.
C) 1 - 1.5°F per hour.
D) 1.5 - 2°F per hour.
Q5) For gunshot victims,the cause of death can be listed as a gunshot wound.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 6: Fingerprints
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Sample Questions
Q1) The AFIS ________ determines the degree of ________ between the location and relationship of the minutiae between the questioned fingerprint and those in the database.
A) Relative position, orientation
B) Search algorithm, correlation
C) Identification system, minutiae
D) Software configurations, difference
Q2) The shape of the boundary formed from dermal papillae determines the fingerprint pattern.
A)True
B)False
Q3) A chemical method used for developing prints on nonporous surfaces is:
A) Physical developer.
B) Ninhydrin.
C) Applying the dye rhodamine 6G after fuming with cyanoacrylate.
D) DFO.
Q4) A latent fingerprint is a fingerprint made by the deposit of oils and/or perspiration that is visible to the naked eye.
A)True
B)False
Page 9
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Chapter 7: Forensic Biometrics
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Sample Questions
Q1) What is the primary disadvantage with Principal Component Analysis?
A) A full frontal face image is needed to be a viable sample
B) The image must be taken at a distance of no further than three feet away.
C) It is not compatible with most facial recognition software
D) It is less precise and accurate than other analyses
Q2) When using IrisCode,a single iris can be stored using only ________ bytes of data.
Q3) The extraction process is responsible for finding patterns in the traits extracted by the biometric sensor by using ________.
Q4) Which facial recognition technique uses thousands of stored images of faces and places them over the face in question?
A) PCA
B) LDA
C) CCTV
D) EBGM
Q5) The only disadvantage that PCA poses is that a full ________ face image is needed to be a viable sample.
Q6) Discuss why iris biometrics are preferred over retina biometrics.
Q7) Briefly explain how biometric facial recognition works.
Page 10
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Chapter 8: The Microscope
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Sample Questions
Q1) The ________ allows the forensic scientist to view a particle under a microscope while at the same time obtaining its absorption spectrum.
Q2) Which microscope can be linked to an X-ray analyzer?
A) SEM
B) Microspectrophotometer
C) Stereoscopic
D) Polarizing
Q3) A ________ uses a stream of electrons to create an image of the specimen being studied.
Q4) The pollen of entomophilous plants is dispersed by wind.
A)True
B)False
Q5) A microscope with which light source,when linked to a spectrophotometer,will provide a "fingerprint" spectrum of the object being viewed?
A) Visible
B) Plane polarized
C) IR (infrared)
D) UV (ultraviolet)
Q6) A ________ microscope is used to make side-by-side comparisons of specimens.
Page 11
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Chapter 9: Firearms, tool Marks, and Other Impressions
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Sample Questions
Q1) If the zone of strain has been removed,or if the area has been impressed with a different strain pattern,the serial number usually can be restored.
A)True
B)False
Q2) ________ refers to the spiral grooves impressed in the bore of a firearm barrel.
Q3) A weapon recovered from underwater should be transported to the laboratory in a receptacle containing enough of the same water in which it was found to keep it submerged.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Which of the following results is not possible from a laboratory examination of firearm evidence?
A) Determining that two or more cartridge cases were fired from the same weapon
B) Determining how far from the victim the weapon was held
C) Restoring serial numbers ground off the gun
D) Identifying a bullet as having been combined with a particular shell prior to being discharged
Q5) ________ are the cut or low-lying portions between the lands in a rifled bore.
Q6) ________ are markings impressed into the metal of a barrel.
Page 12
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Chapter 10: Matter, light, and Glass Examination
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Sample Questions
Q1) Each color component of light refracts at a different angle as it emerges from a prism.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The two most important physical properties of glass for forensic comparisons are:
A) Color and density
B) Weight and density
C) Refractive index and density
D) Refractive index and weight
Q3) Which is NOT an intensive property of matter?
A) Density
B) Refractive index
C) Weight
D) Temperature
Q4) The weight 264.45 grams can be correctly expressed as:
A) 26,445 decigrams.
B) 0.26445 kilograms.
C) 26.445 centigrams.
D) None of the above
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Chapter 11: Hairs and Fibers
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101 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) A human head hair is best characterized by:
A) The absence of a cortex.
B) Its scale pattern.
C) A medulla that is more than 1/2 the overall diameter of the hair shaft.
D) A medulla that is absent or is less than 1/3 the overall diameter of the hair shaft.
Q2) Forensic hair comparisons generally involve either ________ hair or pubic hair.
Q3) Which of the following is not a layer of the hair shaft?
A) Cuticle
B) Cortex
C) Medulla
D) Follicle
Q4) A criminalist first compares the color and ________ of fiber evidence.
Q5) Which race is most likely to have head hair with continuous medullae?
A) Negroid
B) Caucasian
C) Mongoloid
D) Native American
Q6) Some hairs in the anagen phase have a ________ tag containing DNA that may be analyzed in order to individualize the hair.
Page 14
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Chapter 12: Drugs
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Sample Questions
Q1) The IR spectrum for each substance is unique.
A)True
B)False
Q2) A ________ may be defined as a natural or synthetic substance that is used to produce physiological or psychological effects in humans or other animals.
Q3) A police officer performs a field test on a white powder,obtaining a purple color.The most likely drug present is:
A) Cocaine
B) Heroin
C) LSD
D) Methadone
Q4) A technique for separating and tentatively identifying the components of a mixture is ________.
Q5) Scott Test solutions can indicate the presence of:
A) Marijuana.
B) Cocaine.
C) Codeine.
D) Librium.
Q6) What is the difference between a screening test and a confirmation test?
Page 15
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Chapter 13: Forensic Toxicology
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Sample Questions
Q1) A breath test reflects the alcohol concentration in the:
A) Aorta.
B) Left ventricle.
C) Pulmonary vein.
D) Pulmonary artery.
Q2) To analyze blood for alcohol,forensic labs normally use:
A) TLC.
B) GM/MS.
C) LC.
D) GC.
Q3) There is a(n)________ relationship between the amount of alcohol in the blood and that in the alveolar breath.
A) Variable
B) Indirect
C) Direct
D) Undetermined
Q4) Lead is not classified as a heavy metal.
A)True
B)False
Q5) What are alveoli and what role do they play in circulation?
Page 16
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Chapter 14: Metals, paint, and Soil
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Sample Questions
Q1) A ________ element is an element found in very small quantities.
Q2) All atoms of an element have the same number of neutrons.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Describe the process of neutron activation analysis.How does the process allow a forensic scientist to identify an isotope?
Q4) Which coat represents the "eye appeal"?
A) Electrocoat primer
B) Primer surface
C) Basecoat
D) Clearcoat
Q5) ________ is the emission of radiation that accompanies the spontaneous disintegration of unstable nuclei.
Q6) A(n)________ spectrum shows a series of lines separated by black areas in which each line represents a definite wavelength of frequency.
Q7) Alpha particles are a type of radiation composed of ________ atoms minus their orbiting electrons.
Q8) How does a nuclear reactor generate radioactive elements?
Q9) The three basic subatomic particles are the proton,electron,and ________.
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Chapter 15: Forensic Serology
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Sample Questions
Q1) Type O blood is the most common in the United States.
A)True
B)False
Q2) One of the most frequent uses of the EMIT technique in forensic laboratories has been for screening the urine of suspected marijuana smokers.
A)True
B)False
Q3) A precipitin test can be used to identify:
A) Human blood.
B) Dog blood.
C) Cat blood.
D) All of the above
Q4) Monoclonal antibodies bind to ________ antibody site(s).
Q5) Which blood components are directly pertinent to the forensic aspects of blood identification?
A) Platelets
B) Blood serum
C) Red blood cells
D) Both B and C
Q6) ________ is the absence of sperm,or sterility in males.
Page 18
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Chapter 16: DNA: the Indispensable Forensic Science Tool
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Sample Questions
Q1) The separation of STRs using capillary electrophoresis:
A) Evolved from the flat-gel electrophoresis approach.
B) Decreases analysis time.
C) Is currently the preferred method.
D) All of the above
Q2) Note that suspect B has only one band in his lane.This is most likely an indication that:
A) He is homozygous for the gene.
B) He is trisomic for the trait.
C) His DNA was contaminated during the collection process.
D) Band shifting occurred.
Q3) List two advantages STRS have over restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP).
Q4) As currently performed,DNA-profiling technology cannot provide information helpful in:
A) Matching a suspect to biological evidence found at a crime scene.
B) Deciding immigration cases based on family relationships.
C) Settling matters of questioned paternity/maternity.
D) Determining whether an individual carries a genetic defect.
Q5) List four ways to minimize contamination of biological evidence.
Page 19
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Chapter 17: Forensic Aspects of Fire and Explosion Investigation
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Sample Questions
Q1) Hydrocarbon accelerants can be detected by:
A) A portable detector (sniffer).
B) Trained dogs.
C) Most people.
D) Both A and B
Q2) Which instrumentation is considered the most sensitive and reliable for detecting and characterizing flammable residues?
A) NAA
B) IR
C) GC
D) TLC
Q3) Which of the following is NOT a military explosive?
A) RDX
B) C-4
C) TNT
D) Nitroglycerin
Q4) At a fire scene,what characteristics should an investigator look for to identify the fire's point of origin?
What circumstances may affect these characteristics?
Q5) Metals,beams,nails,fasteners,and bolts are examples of good ________.
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Chapter 18: Document Examination
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Sample Questions
Q1) Margins,spacing,crowding,insertions,alignment,spelling,punctuation,phraseology,and grammar cannot impart individual variations.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Investigators can use a TTI to determine the model of ________ machine that produced the document.
Q3) If an investigator is to prepare standards from a suspect typewriter,which procedure is recommended?
A) Partial copies of the suspect text are to be typed in light, medium, and heavy touches.
B) Prepare at least one copy of the text in full word-for-word order.
C) Each character should be typed without the ribbon.
D) Examine the type impressions left on the ribbon.
Q4) When comparing sample writing to a suspect document,the age difference between the documents should be no more than six to twelve months.
A)True
B)False
Q5) What are natural variations?
How can they be useful for detecting forgeries?
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Chapter 19: Computer Forensics
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Sample Questions
Q1) Sectors are typically how many bytes in size?
A) 126 bytes
B) 256 bytes
C) 512 bytes
D) 1024 bytes
Q2) Which of the following is NOT associated with the partitioning of a HDD?
A) Quadrant
B) Sector
C) Track
D) Cluster
Q3) The complex of wires located on the motherboard which serves to carry data from one hardware device to another is:
A) RAM.
B) ROM.
C) System bus.
D) Central processing unit.
Q4) The two main types of evidentiary computer data are visible data and latent data.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 20: Mobile Device Forensics
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Sample Questions
Q1) 2G appeared in the 1990s using two standards: GSM & CDMA.
A)True
B)False
Q2) In 2001,mobile Broadband networks (3G)arrived on the scene in what country?
A) North Korea
B) China
C) Japan
D) India
Q3) Describe the process of using each generation of mobile device to create a timeline and correlate events on the device.
Q4) If there is a GPS capability on a smartphone,how might the investigator use it in the investigation?
Q5) What does 4G consist of?
A) Analog networks
B) Digital networks
C) Broadband networks
D) Native IP networks
Q6) All mobile devices use SIM cards.
A)True
B)False
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