ABSTRACT
Bloodstain pattern analysis (BSPA) is used, in conjunction with other forensic disciplines, such as forensic pathology and DNA, to assist in reconstructing a scene to determine the most likely scenario(s). BSPA is not serology, or DNA; it is the analysis and interpretation of the size, shape, distribution, and location of bloodstains in order to determine the events which gave rise to their origin. The two main functions of human blood are transportation and defense. Transportation includes supplying the necessary nutrients, hormones, and so on, as well as waste product removal. The defense function includes fighting infection and clotting. A bloodstained scene can be a dangerous environment for many reasons; items such as hypodermic needles, loaded firearms, broken glass, knives, and so on, may be present. The angle of impact is the internal angle between the flight path of the blood drop and the surface it strikes.
