Several years ago, I stood at my stainless steel autopsy table staring at a tiny bundle swaddled in white cotton. I had never performed an autopsy on a baby before. Medical records indicated the ...

An autopsy, also known as necropsy, post-mortem examination, or autopsia cadaverum is a highly specialized surgical procedure, performed by a medical doctor called a pathologist. It includes a ...

Forensic pathologists can use autopsies to discern someone’s identity, determine the cause and manner of death, and estimate when death occurred. However, not all autopsies yield clear findings. Legal ...

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in ...