ANT 211
Fundamentals of Forensic Anthropology 

(page 5 of 7)

II.  Analysis

A.  Medical Examiners (ME's):

1.  Perform autopsies or examinations of decedents (dead people, pronounced "dee-see-dents") in cases where death occurred suddenly or unexpectedly, dealing mostly with examinations of and findings from soft tissue (cells, tissues, organs, fluids).

2.  Assess cause of death, by considering pathology (trauma and or disease).  Fluids (blood, urine, semen, vitreous humor from the eyes) are often analyzed by toxicologists (or forensic chemists), which is useful if the cause of death is not readily apparent.

3.  Establish identity, with the help of fingerprinting, radiographic analyses (X-rays), dental features (aided by a forensic dentist, also known as a forensic odontologist), and possibly DNA testing, done by a forensic or molecular biologist or geneticist.