Question 1

The postmortem evacuation of mucus from a deceased person's nostrils would be known as what?
A)Excretion
B)Purge
C)Removal
D)Postmortem shifting

Accepted Answer

The postmortem evacuation of mucus from a deceased person's nostrils is commonly referenced as purge. Purge is also defined as any substance that leaves the body through an external orifice after death. Excretion is the expulsion of waste. Postmortem shifting and removal are terms referring to moving and transferring a corpse.

Question 2

The face of a body should be turned in a specific direction before its viewing. What direction should it face, and to what degree should it be angled?
A)Right, 15 degrees
B)Right, 45 degrees
C)Left, 25 degrees
D)Left, 15 degrees

Accepted Answer

The face of a body should be turned in the right direction before its viewing. In addition, it should be angled at about 15 degrees. This is done to make the viewing easier during funeral arrangements.

Question 3

What is the significant decrease in internal body temperature just before death known as?
A)Agonal algor
B)Agonal dehydration
C)Agonal translocation
D)Agonal congealing

Accepted Answer

The significant decrease in internal body temperature just before death is known as agonal algor. The term agonal has its roots in the word agony, and describes the final moments before one's death. Agonal dehydration refers to lass of embalming fluid, congealing refers to blood clotting, translocation involves bacterial growth.

Question 4

A body in its postmortem state is known as a what?
A)Skeleton
B)Postmortem depressive object
C)Corpse
D)None of the above

Accepted Answer

A body in its postmortem state is properly referred to as a corpse. The decaying process works at a moderately slow pace when a body has been properly embalmed and buried and will prevent the skeleton from being exposed for anywhere from a few months to several years. There is no such term as postmortem depressive object.

Question 5

A funeral director has many responsibilities, including caring for a corpse from the time of its arrival to the time of its departure from the parlor. Because of this, funeral directors are often referred to as what?
A)Corpse sitters
B)Pastors
C)Watchers
D)Custodians

Accepted Answer

Because a funeral director has many responsibilities, including caring for a corpse from the time of its arrival to the time of its departure from the parlor, he/she is often referred to as a custodian. This applies for both male and female funeral directors.

Question 6

What material is used to make a corrugated container?
A)Metal
B)Plastic
C)Cardboard
D)Velcro

Accepted Answer

A corrugated container is a folded and ridged case, fashioned to hold a postmortem body. It is built using a special type of cardboard that is easier to use and recycle. Metal, Velcro, and plastic are not used due to costs and disposal reasons.

Question 7

On what days do Orthodox Jews refuse to allow the removal of deceased persons?
A)From sunset Friday until sunset Saturday
B)On weekdays between sun up and sunset
C)From sun up Monday until sunset Wednesday
D)From sunset Saturday until sunset Sunday

Accepted Answer

Sabbatical laws prohibit Orthodox Jews to allow the removal of deceased person from sundown Friday until sundown Saturday. This law is effective year-round and is never altered for any reason.

Question 8

Orthodox Jews have a special way of handling the clothing of someone who has died a particularly violent death. What best describes this procedure?
A)The clothing is burned and the corpse is dressed in a new outfit
B)The clothing is buried in a separate casket from the corpse
C)The clothing is burned and the corpse is buried while undressed
D)The clothing is not removed from the corpse but buried with it

Accepted Answer

According to Jewish funeral rites, the clothing of a deceased person who died a particularly violent death is not removed. However, a simple shroud may be used to cover the clothed body. The rationale behind this is to evoke the compassion of God.

Question 9

In what religion is burial clothing dependent on whether the deceased person "received temple endowment"?
A)Muslim
B)Catholic
C)Orthodox Jews
D)Latter-Day Saints (Mormon)

Accepted Answer

Latter-Day Saints' (Mormon) burial clothing is determined whether or not the deceased "received temple endowment." This burial attire consists of all white clothing for males and females. According to the condition of the body, the clothes may be dressed on the person or simply placed inside the coffin. These actions are not followed in the Jewish, Catholic, or Muslim religions.

Question 10

The primary disinfection of a corpse involves several complicated steps. True or false, does one of these steps include thoroughly washing the corpse with boiling water?
A)True
B)False

Accepted Answer

The disinfection of a corpse involves several complicated steps in order to avoid virus or disease. However, these steps do not include washing the corpse with boiling water.

Question 11

When a person is cremated, if necessary, what artificial device must be removed?
A)Pacemaker
B)Brace
C)Tracker
D)None of the These

Accepted Answer

In cases of cremation, the pacemaker, a vital functional machine sometimes placed within living people whose hearts have difficulty working on their own, must be removed before the body may be burned. If forgotten, the pacemaker may disrupt the cremation process.

Question 12

What are dentures?
A)The set of artificial teeth that are sometimes used in place of natural teeth
B)A brace that assists the elderly with transportation
C)The name of a caregiver to the elderly
D)The set of real teeth that grow in after your baby teeth fall out

Accepted Answer

Dentures are the set of artificial teeth that are sometimes use in place of natural teeth. It is important for an embalming to know when a deceased person is fitted with dentures, so that they can be removed during oral cavity cleaning.

Question 13

A deceased person is placed upon a specific part of a casket during the viewing and burial. What is this portion of the casket commonly known as?
A)Fluff
B)Pillow
C)Plush
D)Bed

Accepted Answer

Corpses are placed upon the bed section of a casket during the viewing and burial. The bed section is designed to support the body for an ideal viewing posture. The bedding the casket is usually made out of cotton or foam material that easily biodegrades.

Question 14

What is the name of the place deceased bodies are usually held immediately after their death?
A)City emporium
B)Cemetery
C)Morgue
D)Funeral parlor

Accepted Answer

A morgue holds deceased people immediately after their death. Autopsies, investigations and positive identifications of the bodies are often obtained through morgues.

Question 15

The purposeful disturbance or alteration of a body after the time of death is most commonly described as what?
A)Autopsy
B)Mutilation
C)Illegal
D)None of the above.

Accepted Answer

The purposeful disturbance or alteration of a body after the time of its death is most commonly known as mutilation. This does not include the changes a body goes through during postmortem and typically includes any type of dissection or mutilation. This is a felony offense. An autopsy is a bodily investigation.

Question 16

What is agonal congealing?
A)The body's loss of blood during the agonal stage
B)The thickening of blood in the body during the agonal stage
C)The evaporation of blood from the body during the agonal stage
D)None of the above

Accepted Answer

Agonal congealing is defined as the thickening of blood in the body specifically during the agonal stage. The agonal stage (also referred to as "agony") describes the preparation of a live body for the transition into becoming a corpse.

Question 17

What is a shroud?
A)A vegetable
B)A thick coating of lotion, creams, and oils rubbed on a corpse before viewing
C)The material/cloth-case in which a corpse is buried
D)A type of coffin

Accepted Answer

A shroud is the material or cloth-case in which a corpse is buried. Many times, a shroud is used when a coffin cannot be obtained for burial.

Question 18

The external cleansing of a body completed as part of preparation process is called what?
A)Cleaning ritual
B)Topical disinfection
C)Janitorial process
D)Sanitization

Accepted Answer

The beginning stages of preparing a body for viewing and burial often involve disinfecting the surface of the corpse, which is also known as topical disinfection. Topical disinfection destroys harmful microorganisms that may be present due to decomposition. This process aids in infection control among embalmers.

Question 19

What is a Unionall?
A)A special type of outfit worn by Orthodox Jews at viewings
B)An apron that a funeral director is required to wear when handling corpses
C)The material designed to cover an entire corpse from head to toe
D)A special type of food served at funerals

Accepted Answer

A Unionall is a plastic PVC material designed to cover an entire corpse from head to toe. Unionalls are leak-resistant and used to aid viewing preservation after embalming. The jump suit has access point that allow for fluid leakages to be drained without compromising the deceased's clothing or casket.

Question 20

Some Jewish funerary traditions include a person called a shomer. What is their function?
A)To sit with a corpse and "watch" it until burial
B)To assist the funeral director in cleaning and preparing the corpse for viewing
C)To provide the food at the funeral service
D)To transfer the corpse from the funeral parlor to the cemetery

Accepted Answer

The function of a shomer is to sit with a corpse and watch it until burial. Paid shomers are known as shomer hinam, while unpaid ones are called shomer sakhar.

Quiz 7: Sciences Preparation for Disposition

The postmortem evacuation of mucus from a deceased person's nostrils would be known as what?

The face of a body should be turned in a specific direction before its viewing. What direction should it face, and to what degree should it be angled?

What is the significant decrease in internal body temperature just before death known as?

A body in its postmortem state is known as a what?

A funeral director has many responsibilities, including caring for a corpse from the time of its arrival to the time of its departure from the parlor. Because of this, funeral directors are often referred to as what?

What material is used to make a corrugated container?

On what days do Orthodox Jews refuse to allow the removal of deceased persons?

Orthodox Jews have a special way of handling the clothing of someone who has died a particularly violent death. What best describes this procedure?

In what religion is burial clothing dependent on whether the deceased person "received temple endowment"?

The primary disinfection of a corpse involves several complicated steps. True or false, does one of these steps include thoroughly washing the corpse with boiling water?

When a person is cremated, if necessary, what artificial device must be removed?

What are dentures?

A deceased person is placed upon a specific part of a casket during the viewing and burial. What is this portion of the casket commonly known as?

What is the name of the place deceased bodies are usually held immediately after their death?

The purposeful disturbance or alteration of a body after the time of death is most commonly described as what?

What is agonal congealing?

What is a shroud?

The external cleansing of a body completed as part of preparation process is called what?

What is a Unionall?

Some Jewish funerary traditions include a person called a shomer. What is their function?