Autopsy

An autopsy (also known as a post-mortem examination or necropsy) is a medical investigation of a corpse.

The term "autopsy" derives from the Latin for "seeing with your own eyes". "Necropsy" is from the Latin for "seeing a dead body".

During the post-mortem examination the body is opened and the main organs removed, weighed, inspected, and dissected. Pathology tests and other medical tests may also be performed.

The principal aim of an autopsy is to discover the cause of death, to determine the state of health of the person before they died, and whether any medical diagnosis and and treatment before death was appropriate.

Where a person has given permission in advance of their death, autopsies may also be carried out for the purposes of medical research.

See also: coroner, forensic science