Chapter Eight – Blood and Blood Spatter

  1. Standard: SFS3. Student will analyze the use of toxicology, serology and DNA technology in forensic investigations.
  2. Compare the effects of alcohol on blood alcohol levels with regard to gender, and according to the law.
  3. Differentiate the forensic techniques used to distinguish human and animal blood.
  4. Analyze the physics of blood stain patterns.
  1. Learning goals
  2. What is serology? What are the major components of blood and in what proportions do they appear?
  3. How can blood evidence by used to rule out a suspect? What is blood typing?
  4. Why is blood considered both class and individual evidence?
  5. How can blood spatter evidence be used to reconstruct a crime?
  1. Reading assignmentMandatory: Read All of Ch 8

Mandatory: See BLOG:click on Chapter 8Click on Digging Deeper

  1. Read “Blood Spatter Interpretation at crime and accident scenes: a basic approach”

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin + answer the questions on the BLOG

  1. Read “Serology”, World of Forensic Science + answer the questions on the BLOG
  2. Read “Blood Stain Evidence”, World of Forensic Science
  3. (page 194) Read: Blood Paints a Picture
  4. (page 208-209) Read the 3 case studies
  1. Writing Assignments

You must write one full, well written paragraph – or more - for each experiment!

Explain the PURPOSE of the experiment. Then summarize your results. BE SURE TO MAKE REFERENCE YOUR LAB DATA! Discuss how your results support the purpose. Then, write a conclusion statement explaining how this experiment can be used in forensic investigations. Be sure to use an example in your explanation.

  • (Page 216) – A Presumptive Test for Blood
  • (Page 220) – Blood Typing
  • (Page225) – Blood Spatter: Effect of Height on Blood Drops
  • (Page 229) – Blood Spatter Impact Angle
  • (Page 235) – Area of Convergence
  • (Page 239) – Point of Origin
  1. Practical Activity
  • Presumptive Test for Blood Lab – Determining if stains are Blood using the Kastle-Meyer Test, Act 8-1
  • Blood Typing Lab- Act 8-2
  • Blood Spatter Analysis: Effect of Height on Blood Drops Lab Act 8-3
  • Blood Spatter Impact Angle Lab Act 8-4
  • Area of Convergence Lab Act 8-5
  • Determining Point of Origin Lab Act 8-6
  • Crime Scene Investigation Lab Act 8-7
  1. Review:
  • Chapter 8 review – Complete all Review questions at the end of the chapter
  1. Test: Review all Chapter 8 notes, labs and reading assignments.