Putrefaction Mummification Adipocere MCQ Quiz | Forensic Pathology

Welcome to this specialized MCQ quiz on Putrefaction, Mummification, and Adipocere, key topics in Forensic Pathology for MBBS students. This quiz is designed to test your understanding of the post-mortem changes that a body undergoes, which are crucial for estimating the time since death and understanding the circumstances surrounding it. You will be presented with 25 multiple-choice questions covering the mechanisms, influencing factors, and medico-legal significance of these decompositive processes. Carefully select the best answer for each question. After submitting, your score will be displayed, and you can review your answers. For your revision, you can also download all the questions along with their correct answers in a convenient PDF format.

1. What is the first external sign of putrefaction in a body found in a temperate climate?

2. The characteristic “marbling” seen in putrefaction is due to:

3. Caspar’s Dictum describes the relative rates of putrefaction in different environments. What is the correct ratio for Air:Water:Burial?

4. The formation of adipocere is a chemical process best described as:

5. Which environmental condition is most favorable for the development of mummification?

6. The foul odor associated with putrefaction is primarily caused by the production of:

7. In a body submerged in water, adipocere formation typically begins and is most prominent in which area?

8. What is the primary bacterial agent responsible for initiating putrefaction from the gut?

9. A body is found with dry, leathery, and shrunken skin, with well-preserved features. This is characteristic of:

10. The greenish discoloration of putrefaction is due to the formation of:

11. Under typical temperate conditions, approximately how long does it take for complete adipocere formation in an adult body?

12. “Colliquative putrefaction” refers to which stage of decomposition?

13. The presence of maggots on a body primarily accelerates which process?

14. A body buried in a sealed, anaerobic, and moist casket is most likely to undergo:

15. In which of the following cases would putrefaction be slowest, assuming all other factors are equal?

16. The “pugilistic attitude” is a post-mortem artifact caused by:

17. Adipocere is primarily composed of:

18. The “degloving” of skin from the hands and feet is a sign of:

19. Mummification significantly hinders the estimation of time since death using which method?

20. The bloating of the body during putrefaction is primarily caused by:

21. Which of these is a key inhibitor of adipocere formation?

22. Internal organs putrefy at different rates. Which organ is generally the most resistant to putrefaction?

23. In a case of a body recovered from a cold, deep lake after several months, which process is most likely to be prominent?

24. The preservation of injuries, such as stab wounds, is often remarkably good in which post-mortem state, sometimes forming a permanent cast of the wound track?

25. A body found in the Sahara desert would most likely exhibit: