Essential forensic biology

Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Part A: Human Remains: Decay, DNA, Tissues And Fluids -- 1: Decay, discovery, and recovery of human bodies -- Dead body -- Stages of decomposition -- Factors affecting the speed of decay -- Discovery and recovery of human remains -- Determining the age and provenance of skeletonized remains -- Future developments -- 2: Body fluids and waste products -- Blood cells and blood typing -- Methods for detecting blood -- Confirming the presence of blood -- Bloodstain pattern analysis -- Artificial blood -- Post mortem toxicological analysis of blood -- Saliva and semen -- Vitreous humor -- Faeces and urine as forensic indicators -- Future directions -- 3: Molecular biology -- Structure of DNA -- DNA sampling -- DNA profiling -- Polymerase chain reaction -- Short tandem repeat markers -- Single nucleotide polymorphism markers -- Determination of ethnicity -- Determination of physical appearance -- Determination of personality traits -- Mobile element insertion polymorphisms -- Mitochondrial DNA -- RNA -- DNA databases -- Future developments -- 4: Human tissues -- Outer body surface -- Hair -- Bones -- Teeth -- Future developments -- 5: Wounds -- Definitions -- Blunt force injuries -- Sharp force traumas -- Bone damage -- Additional aspects of wound interpretation -- Asphyxia -- Pathology associated with drug use -- Gunshot wounds -- Bite marks -- Burns and scalds -- Ageing of wounds -- Post mortem injuries -- Future developments -- Part B: Invertebrates And Vertebrates -- 6: Invertebrates 1: Biological aspects -- Introduction to invertebrate biology -- Invertebrates as forensic indicators in cases of murder or suspicious death -- Invertebrates as a cause of death -- Invertebrates as forensic indicators in cases of neglect and animal welfare -- Role of invertebrates in food spoilage and hygiene litigation -- Illegal trade in invertebrates -- Invertebrate identification techniques -- Future directions -- 7: Invertebrates 2: Practical aspects -- Calculating the PMI/time since infestation from invertebrate development rates -- Complicating factors affecting earliest oviposition date calculations -- Determination of the PMI using invertebrate species composition -- Determination of the PMI using ectoparasites -- Determination of movement from invertebrate evidence -- Invertebrate evidence in cases of wound myiasis and neglect -- Detection of drugs, toxins and other chemicals in invertebrates -- Obtaining human/vertebrate DNA evidence from invertebrates -- Determining the source and duration of invertebrate infestations of food products -- Collecting invertebrates for forensic analysis -- Killing and preserving techniques for invertebrates -- Future directions -- 8: Vertebrates -- Introduction -- Vertebrate scavenging of human corpses -- Vertebrates causing death and injury -- Neglect and abuse of vertebrates -- Vertebrates and drugs -- Vertebrates and food hygiene -- Illegal trade and killing of protected species of vertebrates -- Identification of vertebrates -- Future directions -- Part C: Protists, Fungi, Plants And Microbes -- 9: Protists, fungi, and plants -- Introduction -- Portists -- Fungi -- Plants -- Plant secondary metabolities as sources of drugs and poisons -- Illegal trade in protected plant species -- Future directions -- 10: Bacteria and viruses -- Introduction -- Role of microorganisms in the decomposition process -- Microbial profiles as identification tools -- Microbial infections and human behaviour -- Microbial infections that can be mistaken for signs of criminal activity -- Use of microorganisms in bioterrorism -- Future directions -- References -- Index.