FORENSICS:

Criminalistics and Trace Evidence:  Criminalistics and Trace Evidence are both catch-all terms that apply to all types of physical evidence that may be circumstantial evidence in the trial of a case. Most often, the term is meant to include a variety of types of trace evidence analyzed by experts who are sometimes identified as "microanalysts," "trace evidence examiners," or "criminalists," or by numerous other specialists. Microanalysts determine the nature of small items of trace evidence and compare it with known materials for the purpose of determining the origin of the trace evidence.

Crime Scene Investigation:  Crime Scene Investigation involves the use of scientific methods, physical evidence, deductive reasoning, and their interrelationships to gain explicit knowledge of the series of events that surround the commission of a crime.

Forensic Pathology: Forensic pathology is the subspecialty of pathology that focuses on the medicolegal investigation of sudden or unexpected death. A physician trained in the medical specialty of pathology, the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis of disease and causes of death by means of laboratory examination of body fluids (clinical pathology) cell samples, (cytology) and tissues (pathologic anatomy).

Forensic Anthropology: Forensic anthropology is the application of the science of physical anthropology to the legal process. The identification of skeletal, badly decomposed, or otherwise unidentified human remains is important for both legal and humanitarian reasons. Forensic anthropologists apply standard scientific techniques developed in physical anthropology to identify human remains, and to assist in the detection of crime. Forensic anthropologists frequently work in conjunction with forensic pathologists, odontologists, and homicide investigators to identify a decedent, discover evidence of foul play, and/or the postmortem interval. In addition to assisting in locating and recovering suspicious remains, forensic anthropologists work to suggest the age, sex, ancestry, stature, and unique features of a decedent from the skeleton.

Forensic Chemistry and Toxicology:  Forensic Toxicology is, quite literally, the use of toxicology in courts of law. This is most often understood to mean the analysis of alcohol, drugs, and poisons in body fluids and the interpretation of those analytical results for the benefit of the courts. There is considerable overlap between forensic toxicology and clinical toxicology, criminalistics, forensic psychology, employment drug testing, environmental toxicology, forensic pathology, pharmacology, sports medicine, and veterinary toxicology.

Forensic Entomology:  Forensic Entomology, or Medicocriminal Entomology, is the science of using insect evidence to uncover circumstances of interest to the law, often related to a crime. The time of death, for example, can usually be determined using insect evidence gathered from and around a corpse, provided the evidence is properly collected, preserved and analyzed by an appropriately educated forensic entomologist. Insect scientists, or entomologists, are being called upon with increasing frequency to apply their knowledge and expertise to criminal and civil proceedings. They are also recognized members of forensic laboratories and medical/legal investigation teams.

Forensic Odontology:  Odontology is the study of teeth. Forensic odontology is a specialized field of dentistry where, in a death investigation, identity has sometimes been established through analysis of the teeth and accompanying dental prosthetics, fillings and compounds.

Forensic Trace Analysis:  Forensic trace analysis refers to any type of physical evidence that can be collected from the crime scene, such as hair, fibers, soil, glue, paint, glass, or explosives residue. Trace evidence can sometimes be a source of DNA evidence. For example, an explosive device made from an empty plastic soft drink bottle may yield DNA evidence if the mouthpiece of the bomb remains intact. Analyzing all these base pairs and genes in order to identify an individual would be impossible, with current technology. Instead, forensic scientists focus on certain genetic sequences called "markers." Here, the arrangement of genetic information is highly variable and particular to each person.

Forensic Botany: Forensic botany is the application of plant science to the resolution of legal questions. The use of botanical evidence in legal investigations is relatively recent. Today, forensic botany encompasses numerous subdisciplines of plant science: palynology (pollen), anatomy and dendrochronology (the study of tree rings), limnology (study of freshwater ecology, including diatoms), systematics (systematic expertise is required when the identity of suspected drug species, notably marijuana, is in question), ecology (ecological knowledge of plant species is useful to investigators in two main ways: to determine whether plant fragments recovered from a victim or object came from where it was found or from some other area, and in locating clandestine graves) and molecular biology.

Forensic Psychology:   Forensic psychology refers to the development and application of psychological principles to the problems and administration of legal, judicial, correctional, and law enforcement systems; clearly rooted in the discipline of psychology and its subfields, but also interdisciplinary in nature, drawing on diverse disciplines such as the law, sociology, political science, anthropology, philosophy, medicine, and linguistics. 

Forensic Serology:  Forensic serology is the application of the study of blood, semen, saliva and other body fluids to legal matters. The field generally is comprised of the detection of enzymes and antigens, as in the identification of seminal stains or blood typing (ABO and secretor status) and DNA typing (by PCR or RFLP analysis).