Crimes Against Persons Practice Test

Which term is described as the color change from settling of blood due to gravity?

Algor Mortis Lividity Rigor Mortis Manner of death

Correct Answer:

Lividity

Explanation:

Lividity, or livor mortis, is the color change caused by blood settling under gravity after circulation stops. When the heart stops, blood no longer circulates and gravitates to the parts of the body that are lowest when the body is lying down. This pooling produces a reddish-purple discoloration on those dependent areas because the pooled blood is largely deoxygenated. The change is visible after death and, over time, can become fixed as tissues decompose and capillaries settle in place. This phenomenon helps investigators assess time since death and whether the body was moved. It differs from algor mortis (body cooling) and rigor mortis (stiffening), which are separate postmortem changes.

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