FORENSIC SCIENCE
The application of scientific knowledge and methodology to legal problems and criminal investigations.
Sometimes called simply forensics, forensic
science encompasses many different fields of sci-
ence, including anthropology, biology, chem-
istry, engineering, genetics,medicine, pathology,
phonetics, psychiatry, and toxicology.
The related term criminalistics refers more
specifically to the scientific collection and analy-
sis of physical evidence in criminal cases. This
includes the analysis of many kinds of materials,
including blood, fibers, bullets, and fingerprints.
Many law enforcement agencies operate crime
labs that perform scientific studies of evidence.
