After a person takes their last breath, the body begins the process of decomposition: cells break down, the body stiffens, and organs self-digest…
Understanding the Changes in the Body After Death
Each of us will eventually have to “return to dust.” However, have you ever wondered what happens to our bodies after we die?
Williams, a 28-year-old from North Texas, works in a morgue. Her job primarily involves collecting and handling bodies before notifying the family to arrange the funeral.
She stated that fresher bodies (recently deceased) are easier to manage. Cases involving solitary victims who have been dead for a few days or even weeks become increasingly difficult to handle as decomposition sets in.
The following article will provide you with a comprehensive overview of the processes that occur in our bodies after we depart from this world.
1. The Process of Autolysis
Although we are dead, the cells in our bodies continue to function. These cells will start a new cycle – the autolysis process.
After the heart stops beating, some cells in the brain and liver will initiate their own self-digestion process. Due to severe oxygen deprivation, enzymes begin to attack the cell membranes, causing their structure to break down. This process is known as autolysis, the initial stage of decomposition.
All tissue in other organs subsequently decomposes in this manner. Autolysis typically begins in the liver and brain, then occurs in all internal organs. The skin starts to discolor as blood vessel cells rupture, causing blood cells to spill out, combined with the effects of gravity pooling in small capillaries and veins.
Meanwhile, the body quickly depletes its oxygen reserves. Body temperature begins to drop until it reaches the temperature of the surrounding environment. At this point, the body starts to stiffen – beginning with the eyelids, jawbone, and neck, then moving to the abdomen and finally the limbs. The muscle fibers stiffen and lock the joints.
2. The Body Becomes a “Microbial Ecosystem”
In the initial stages after death, the human body becomes a “microbial ecosystem.” Each part of the body provides a habitat for a specialized community of bacteria, consisting of thousands of different types.
As the immune system ceases to function, bacteria spread freely throughout the body. Starting from the intestines, they gradually “digest” the surrounding intestinal tissues, spreading intestinal bacteria from the inside out. They feed on what remains of the tissues and organs in the body. The bacteria produce methane (CH4), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and ammonia (NH3). These gases accumulate, creating pressure that causes the abdomen to bloat. The pressure also forces fluids to leak from the nose, ears, and mouth.
Fluids within the body leak out as the cells break down – a rich food source for bacteria. Gradually, they invade the capillaries and lymph nodes, digesting the liver, spleen, and then moving into the heart and brain.
This conclusion was reached after Javan, a forensic scientist, and his colleagues sampled the liver, spleen, brain, and heart of 11 corpses after they had been dead for 20 to 240 hours.
By analyzing DNA, experts found differences in the content of the microbiome – referred to as the second genome of humans, which helps estimate the time of death.
Accordingly, it takes 20 hours for bacteria to invade the liver, and after 58 hours, they attack other parts like the pancreas, stomach, uterus, and then finally the heart and bones.
It is clear that the bacterial composition varies with different stages of decomposition.
3. The Body Begins to Decay
Decaying is the process of destroying soft tissues, converting them into gases, liquids, and salts. Initially, anaerobic bacteria attack the soft tissues of the body, converting sugars into gases that accumulate inside the body, causing the abdomen and other organs to swell.
Next, they transform the red blood cells, causing the corpse to turn a bluish-black color. Gases continue to be produced within the body, creating pressure that leads to blisters on the surface of the skin.
Ultimately, this pressure causes the liquids and gases inside the body to leak out, from the anus and through any ruptures in the skin. Sometimes the pressure is so great that the corpse bursts.
4. A Feast for Maggots and Scavengers
After the corpse is buried, various types of maggots and scavengers will “worm their way” in to enjoy their feast. Each corpse contains a unique microbiome that forensic experts can use to determine the time, location, and cause of death.
Experts have studied the application of entomology in forensic analysis to gather more information from deceased bodies.
It is estimated that an average human body contains 50-75% water, and each kilogram of body weight releases 32g of nitrogen, 10g of phosphorus, 4g of potassium, and 1g of magnesium into the ground.
The gases released from the corpse will kill off the surrounding vegetation due to nitrogen gas poisoning or because of antibiotics in the body… but ultimately, the decomposing corpses will create a new, rich, and diverse ecosystem around the burial site.
