Practice Exam: Criminalistics - Forensic Medicine & Toxicology (Set 57)
A 30-question practice exam covering forensic pathology, medico-legal examination, and toxicological analysis.
1. A forensic pathologist determines the gunshot wound was the immediate cause of death. What is the "manner of death" if the investigation reveals the victim was shot during a robbery?
A.Natural
B.Accidental
C.Homicide
D.Suicide
2. What is the post-mortem change characterized by the stiffening of muscles due to the depletion of ATP?
A.Livor mortis
B.Rigor mortis
C.Algor mortis
D.Pallor mortis
3. An investigator observes a body lying face down, with a distinct purplish-red discoloration on the back, buttocks, and back of the legs, which does not blanch upon pressure. What does this finding most likely indicate?
A.The body was moved after death.
B.The body was not moved after livor mortis became fixed.
C.Death occurred less than 2 hours ago.
D.The person died from carbon monoxide poisoning.
4. What is the term for the cooling of the body after death?
A.Rigor mortis
B.Livor mortis
C.Algor mortis
D.Pallor mortis
5. What is the primary purpose of a medico-legal autopsy?
A.To prepare the body for burial.
B.To determine the cause, mechanism, and manner of death.
C.To identify the deceased.
D.To harvest organs for donation.
6. A person with a terminal illness dies in a hospital under a physician's care. What is the official manner of death?
A.Natural
B.Accidental
C.Undetermined
D.Suicide
7. What is the name for the greenish discoloration of the skin, usually starting on the abdomen, which is a definitive sign of putrefaction?
A.Marbling
B.Post-mortem discoloration
C.Livor mortis
D.Adipocere
8. What is the term for the formation of a waxy, soap-like substance on a body that has been in a moist, anaerobic environment?
A.Mummification
B.Putrefaction
C.Adipocere
D.Marbling
9. A body is found in a hot, arid, and well-ventilated environment. The skin is dry, leathery, and dark. This process of preservation is known as:
A.Adipocere
B.Mummification
C.Putrefaction
D.Skeletonization
10. The expert who performs an autopsy to determine the cause of death in cases of suspicious or unexplained deaths is called a:
A.Forensic Anthropologist
B.Forensic Pathologist
C.Forensic Toxicologist
D.Odontologist
11. An injury produced by a sharp-edged instrument, such as a knife, where the length of the wound on the skin is greater than its depth, is called a/an:
A.Punctured wound
B.Incised wound
C.Lacerated wound
D.Abrasion
12. Multiple shallow, incised wounds found on the wrists or neck of a deceased person, often parallel to each other, are characteristic of:
A.Defensive wounds
B.Hesitation marks
C.Torture marks
D.Accidental injuries
13. Pinpoint hemorrhages (petechiae) found in the conjunctiva of the eyes and on the face are a classic sign of death by:
A.Drowning
B.Asphyxia
C.Poisoning
D.Hypothermia
14. What is the significance of finding diatoms in the bone marrow of a deceased individual recovered from water?
A.It is strong evidence that the person was alive and inhaled water into their lungs (ante-mortem drowning).
B.It proves that the person was already dead before entering the water (post-mortem submersion).
C.It indicates the water was contaminated with industrial waste.
D.It is a normal finding and has no medico-legal significance.
15. A wound caused by a blunt object that results in the tearing or splitting of skin, characterized by irregular edges and bridging tissues, is known as a:
A.Incised wound
B.Stab wound
C.Lacerated wound
D.Abrasion
16. In medico-legal terms, what is the extravasation of blood in a newly-formed cavity, often resulting from significant trauma?
A.Contusion
B.Hematoma
C.Petechia
D.Ecchymosis
17. A ligature mark that is continuous and runs horizontally around the neck is more characteristic of:
A.Suicidal hanging
B.Ligature strangulation (homicidal)
C.Accidental hanging
D.Positional asphyxia
18. Wounds found on the palms, forearms, and hands of a victim, sustained while trying to ward off an attack, are known as:
A.Defense wounds
B.Hesitation marks
C.Self-inflicted wounds
D.Patterned injuries
19. What is the single most important procedure in forensic toxicology to ensure the integrity of a specimen from collection to analysis?
A.Using a sterile container.
B.Maintaining a proper chain of custody.
C.Immediately freezing the specimen.
D.Analyzing the specimen within 24 hours.
20. Which of the following poisons is classified as a corrosive poison?
A.Sulfuric Acid
B.Arsenic
C.Cyanide
D.Strychnine
21. What type of test is used for an initial, rapid screening of a biological specimen for the presence of a drug class?
A.Confirmatory test
B.Presumptive test
C.Quantitative analysis
D.Purity test
22. In a living person suspected of driving under the influence, what is the standard specimen for accurately determining the Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)?
A.Urine
B.Saliva
C.Blood
D.Stomach contents
23. A victim found in a house fire has a cherry-red to bright pink lividity. This coloration is the classic sign of poisoning by which substance?
A.Cyanide
B.Carbon Monoxide
C.Arsenic
D.Lead
24. A toxicologist who has completed a quantitative analysis of a poison found in a victim's body is primarily concerned with:
A.Identifying the poison.
B.Measuring the exact amount of the poison.
C.Determining the source of the poison.
D.Classifying the poison's effects.
25. The study of insects and their life cycles to estimate the post-mortem interval is known as:
A.Forensic Anthropology
B.Forensic Entomology
C.Forensic Serology
D.Forensic Taphonomy
26. In the Philippines, an order to dig up a body from its grave for medico-legal examination is called:
A.Writ of Habeas Corpus
B.Order of Exhumation
C.Search Warrant
D.Subpoena Duces Tecum
27. Which of the following is NOT typically a required entry on a standard Certificate of Death in the Philippines?
A.Immediate cause of death
B.Manner of death
C.The victim's last meal
D.Name of the attending physician
28. In the Philippine medico-legal system, who is a physician officially authorized by law to perform autopsies and examine persons and bodies to determine the cause of death or injury in legal cases?
A.Private Physician
B.Medico-Legal Officer
C.Municipal Health Officer
D.Forensic Pathologist (private consultant)
29. The presence of ecchymosis or bruising in the vagina and cervix is known as Brouardel's sign. In what type of death is this sign most characteristically observed?
A.Death by drowning, particularly in females
B.Death by hanging
C.Death by poisoning
D.Death by stabbing
30. During a medico-legal autopsy, the pathologist finds no evidence of injury or disease. Why is this "negative finding" still considered forensically significant?
A.It suggests the pathologist made an error.
B.It means the cause of death is "undetermined."
C.It can help rule out certain causes of death, such as physical assault or trauma.
D.It proves the death was from natural causes.