Nature is very efficient at decomposing human corpses.
As soon as you die, the putrefaction process begins, by which the most complex elements of the body will decompose, until it is reduced to a skeleton.
It all begins with the so-called fresh phase , in which the body will change color due to the action of bacteria that have already begun to feed on the soft tissues. When the first signs of swelling in the abdomen are noticeable, the bloating phase begins.
This is due to the gases that arise during decomposition and the action of ghouls , which deposit their larvae in body cavities. In this sense, a greater number of wounds allows the entry of more of them , which accelerates the process. In a short time, the corpse is opened in several areas , so that the aforementioned gases and a characteristic odor escape from it that attracts more insects . By then, the decedent has already lost 80% of his initial weight . Then there will be two more stages, called post- putrefaction and skeletonization.
It is not the same for everyone
The time it takes a body to go through all of them depends on several factors, such as the complexion of the person or the place where the decomposition occurs. For example, it can stay mostly intact through the winter and become almost completely skeletonized in two weeks of sweltering heat. Furthermore, the action of the sun and the wind tends to mummify it; and the deeper the deceased is buried, the longer it takes to start the process. Also, an obese corpse is reduced to bones much faster than a thin one, due to the greater presence of fat.
When we die, the heart stops pumping blood around the body, depriving its cells of oxygen. Decay begins almost immediately, with the skin undergoing several color changes as the blood stops circulating, leaving the body an ashen color. Have you ever noticed that the skin of a deceased person looks really pale? This is the scientific reason. Blood circulation helps to color the skin, when the blood stops circulating, the skin acquires a grayish tone. Also, when the blood settles, the skin closest to the ground will be bruised. If a person dies while lying on their back in bed, their front side will be ashy and their back side will be a dark red-brown color.
However, different cells die at different rates. For example, neurons die within a few minutes, while skin cells can survive more than 24 hours after death. Rigor mortis occurs shortly after death, which is caused by a complex chemical reaction (involving lactic acid and myosin), which forms a gel-like substance that creates the body’s rigidity. Rigor mortis lasts for approximately 24 hours (depending on the ambient temperature).
The stages of decomposition are universal for all bodies , but the timeline can vary depending on the environment of the body’s final resting place, as we have already seen.
