Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Practice Exam

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What does lividity refer to in the context of cadaveric changes?

Stiffening of the body
Settling of blood due to gravity
Color change in the skin
Decomposition of soft tissues

The correct answer is: Settling of blood due to gravity

Lividity refers specifically to the settling of blood in the body due to gravity, which becomes visible as a purplish discoloration of the skin. After death, the heart stops pumping blood, and gravity causes the blood to pool in the lowest parts of the body. This phenomenon helps forensic investigators estimate the time of death, as lividity typically begins to develop within a couple of hours post-mortem and becomes fixed after a period of time, providing critical information about the circumstances surrounding death. The other concepts mentioned, while related to post-mortem changes, describe different processes: stiffening of the body denotes rigor mortis, color changes in the skin involve various other post-mortem phenomena, and decomposition refers to the breakdown of soft tissues. Each of these processes is important in forensic science but is distinct from what lividity indicates.