Forensic science.
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Abstract
programmes such as Silent Witness and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, the role of the forensic experts is depicted as exciting, adventurous, maybe even a bit dangerous. In real life, of course, this is several degrees away from the truth. However, as anyone who has attend a school careers evening recently can confirm, this glamorous media image is proving to be one of the primary inspirations for young people to seek out more information on forensic science from biomedical scientists attending such events. Of course, forensic investigations are not the preserve of any one discipline; there are many overlaps between sciences. A forensic investigation will take in the work of the forensic pathologist, who carries out autopsies and takes laboratory specimens; and many other specialists, such as biochemists, neuropathologists, ophthalmologists, biochemists and computer experts, are likely to be consulted. In terms of analysis, forensic science can be divided into four traditional areas: toxicology, drug science, DNA and blood spatter analysis, and the (chemical) analysis of marks on the body. A fifth area, forensic ecology, is now emerging, and this covers botanical profiling, environmental factors and forensic entomology (the incidence of insect life on corpses). This short series of articles will delve into some of the methods and techniques utilised in forensic pathology and provide just a brief glimpse into the intriguing world of crime investigation.