When we die, our body has not finished its journey . On the contrary, a long process of removing its components will begin. But what happens when bodies decompose and why should we learn anything about it?
For most of us, contact with the bodies of the deceased begins and ends with the sad occasion of a funeral. And even then, what we usually get is an urn with the person’s cremated remains or a body arranged in a coffin, carefully prepared for the occasion.
However, what happens to bodies naturally after encountering death? What if they are not cremated or choose to be embalmed, in order to delay the decomposition process?
Under natural conditions, for example, if the body is left outside, in a natural environment, or placed in a shallow grave, the lifeless body slowly begins to disintegrate, until only the bones remain (which might one day unearth the bones). archaeologists).
What happens in decomposition?
Although many of us may think of decay as synonymous with putrefaction, it is not. In fact, the decomposition of a human body is a very long process with many stages, of which putrefaction is only a part.
Decomposition is a phenomenon through which the complex organic components of a previously living organism are gradually separated into increasingly simple elements. According to forensic scientist M. Lee Goff, it is “a continuous process, beginning at the point of death and ending when the body has been reduced to a skeleton.”
There are several signs that indicate that a body has begun its decomposition process. The best known are: Livor Mortis, Rigor mortis and Algor Mortis.
Livor, rigor and algorithm died
Livor mortis, or lividity, refers to the point at which the body of a deceased person becomes very pale, or ashen, shortly after death. This is due to loss of blood circulation when the heart stops beating. This process can begin after about an hour after death and can continue to develop up to 9-12 hours later.
In rigor mortis , the body becomes rigid and completely indestructible, as all the muscles become tense due to the changes that occur in them at the cellular level. Rigor mortis sets in between 2 and 6 hours after death and can last between 24 and 84 hours. After this, the muscles become flabby and flexible once more.
Algor mortis occurs when the body cools down because it “stops regulating its internal temperature.” The cold of a body will depend largely on the ambient temperature, but it usually sets in a period of approximately 18-20 hours after death.
Other signs of decay include the body assuming a greenish tinge or, of course, putrefaction.
The greenish color of the body is due to the fact that gases accumulate inside its cavities (hydrogen sulfide). It reacts with hemoglobin in the blood to form sulfhemoglobin , the greenish pigment that gives dead bodies this strange color.
As for the separation of skin from the body, it may sound less disturbing once we remember that the entire outer protective layer of our skin is, in fact, made up of dead cells. This layer is constantly shed and is replaced by the underlying epidermis. After death, in humid habitats, the epidermis begins to separate from the dermis and can therefore be easily removed from the body.
Finally, putrefaction occurs, that “nature recycling process”, which is facilitated by the concerted actions of bacterial, fungal and insect agents over time, until the body is stripped of all soft tissues. and only the skeleton remains. The end of the trip.
