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The definition I had heard for autopsy was "examination of a cadaver to attempt to determine the cause of it's death". I guess you're saying that's wrong. What'
by omaranto 16y ago
The definition I had heard for autopsy was "examination of a cadaver to attempt to determine the cause of it's death". I guess you're saying that's wrong. What's the proper definition? I'm guessing it does have something to do with examining cadavers but there are restrictions. Is the restriction that the cadaver be human? Or that both the examiner and cadaver be human? Or possibly that both cadaver and examiner be intelligent creatures of the same kind in some sense (that's what "auto" sort of sounds like to me)?
- davidw 16y agoDict/wordnet says cadaver is "the dead body of a human being", so if an autopsy only deals with cadavers, then it's only people, I suppose.
- crc32 16y agoAs I understand it, a cadaver is a dead human body; rather than a dead organism of any kind.
- Confusion 16y agoIt's not so much about the definition, as it is about historical usage. Autopsy and necropsy are basically synonyms, but the first is used for humans, while the latter is used for all other animals. That's just the way it is; as often, there isn't really any rational explanation for it.