What is the field that studies the causes and effects of diseases for diagnostic or forensic purposes?

The field that studies the causes and effects of diseases for diagnostic or forensic purposes is pathology. Pathology examines the nature of diseases, focusing on their origins, development, and the changes they cause in the body’s tissues and organs. It plays a crucial role in diagnosing diseases by analyzing tissue samples (biopsies), bodily fluids, and other materials, enabling healthcare professionals to understand the underlying mechanisms of illnesses.

In forensic contexts, pathology is pivotal as well, helping to determine causes of death through autopsies and other investigatory methods. This field encompasses a wide range of disciplines, including histopathology and forensic pathology, ensuring that it provides both diagnostic insights for patient care and critical evidence in legal settings.

While hematology deals specifically with blood-related disorders, biochemistry focuses on the chemical processes within and related to living organisms, and toxicology studies the effects of chemicals on biological systems, these fields do not encompass the broad analysis of diseases and their effects as comprehensively as pathology does.