Autopsy, sometimes also called post-mortem examination, section or necropsy, is a medical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a human corpse to determine the cause and manner of a person's death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present. It involves the cutting up of the body, exclusively external examination of the body without section is excluded from the definition.
An autopsy can be the result of a legal procedure or due to medical reasons.
In some countries, autopsy does not imply the cutting up of the body, but merely denotes an external visual inspection of the deceased; this meaning is to be avoided in international contexts.