What happens to the human body after death. Rotting and decomposition of a corpse is the last form of human existence

As the medical encyclopedia says, death is the irreversible cessation of the vital activity of an organism, the natural and inevitable final stage of its individual existence. In warm-blooded animals and humans, it is primarily associated with a complete stop of breathing and blood circulation.

In fact, death can consist of several stages and terminal conditions. And the signs of biological death (when all physiological processes in cells and tissues are stopped) were constantly refined with the development of medicine. This question is vital in the truest sense of the word. And the point is not that a person can be buried alive (in our time this is difficult to imagine, but in the past it happened regularly) - the exact confirmation of death determines when it is possible to stop resuscitation measures, as well as to remove organs for their further transplantation. That is, saving someone's life.

What happens to the body when all vital processes stop? The brain cells are the first to die. They are most sensitive to lack of oxygen. However, some nerve cells can live so long that scientists are not entirely sure whether such a person should be considered dead? After all, he seems to continue to perceive something and (who knows!), perhaps, think!

Swedish scientists from the Karolinska Institute conducted research and came to the conclusion: the brain activity of the deceased fluctuates greatly. Either it is near zero, which indicates death has occurred, then it suddenly rises to a value corresponding to the state of wakefulness. And then it falls again. What happens in the brain of the deceased remains unclear. It is possible that he has some thoughts and feelings even after his heart has stopped beating.

Scientists suggest that the nerve cells of the brain at this moment emit the last impulse. This also explains the phenomenon of experiences in a state of clinical death - the feeling of flight, light at the end of the tunnel, meeting with a higher being, etc. “It is unlikely that a person is conscious during such brain activity,” believes researcher from the Karolinska Institutet Lars Ohlsson.“The only people who have come close and can say anything about it are those who have experienced near-death experiences.” And according to believers, a flash of brain activity corresponds to the moment when the soul of the deceased leaves the body.

Sometimes the dead make strange sounds, which, of course, horrifies the relatives and those gathered to see him off on his last journey. These sounds sound like a groan, a whistle, a sigh, or a strangled cry. There is no mysticism here: the body of every person is filled with liquids and gases. Once the body begins to decompose, additional gases are created that need an outlet. They find it through the trachea. Hence the sounds.

There is even “inappropriate behavior” on the part of deceased men, when those present notice they have an erection. The awkwardness and bewilderment are understandable, but so is the phenomenon itself. After the heart stops, blood can move to the pelvic area and cause temporary swelling of the penis.

Unravel - and overcome!

The human body is home to a huge number of bacteria - scientists count about 10 thousand of their species, and the mass of these microorganisms can reach 3 kg. When our immune system ceases to function with our last breath, these countless hordes of “little friends” are no longer held back. The microflora begins to devour the deceased from the inside. Bacteria move freely throughout the body, engulf the intestines and then the surrounding tissues, and invade the blood capillaries of the digestive system and lymph nodes. They penetrate first into the liver and spleen, and then into the heart and brain.

Simultaneously with the activity of microbes, the formation of cadaveric spots occurs - they appear where stopped blood settles in the tissues. After 12-18 hours, the spots reach their maximum coverage, and after a few days they become dirty green. But it turns out that at the same time some parts of the deceased’s body remain quite viable.

The cornea, the most convex transparent part of the eyeball, lives even longer. It turns out that it can be used for medical purposes for 3 days after a person has died. The reason is that the cornea is in direct contact with the air and receives oxygen from it.

All these facts indicate: the human body does not die at one moment, but gradually. And death as a biological phenomenon - despite the fact that we don’t really like to think and talk about it - is still fraught with many mysteries. Who knows, maybe by solving them we will overcome death itself?

After the onset of biological death, a number of cadaveric changes immediately appear. The rate of occurrence and development, their severity depends on the weight and sex of the corpse, the cause and rate of death, the environmental conditions in which the corpse was located, etc. Some of them appear during the first day and are called early, others develop over a long period of time , are called late ones (Table 6).

Table 6

Cadaveric changes

Early cadaveric changes include cooling of the body, partial drying of the corpse, cadaveric spots, rigor mortis and autolysis;

to the later ones - rotting, mummification, fat wax and peat tanning.

Early cadaveric changes make it possible to confidently decide about the fact of death; they are used to establish the duration of death, the position of the corpse and its movement, and sometimes they guide the expert in establishing the cause of death.

What causes the cooling of a corpse and what forensic significance does this cadaveric change have?

After death, due to the cessation of metabolic processes, the body, according to physical laws, gives off heat until its temperature is equal to the ambient temperature. Cooling begins from exposed parts of the body. The rate of temperature drop is influenced by temperature, humidity, air movement, as well as internal factors: fatness, individual characteristics, cause of death, presence and nature of clothing, etc.

Normal body temperature is considered to be 36.6-36.8°C, from which it is calculated. If it is known that the temperature of a sick person increases before death, an adjustment is made, as for other conditions. Body temperature should be measured (after establishing the ambient temperature) in the rectum, since here it is compared with the environment later than in the armpit. It is even better in this regard to measure the temperature in the liver using needle sensors. Last time
Instruments have been proposed that record air and body temperature, record and calculate the time elapsed after death.

The temperature of the corpse temporarily increases in case of death from tetanus, sepsis, or cooling slows down in case of sunstroke or carbon monoxide poisoning. When the air temperature is high, body temperature may also increase. This happens, for example, in Turkmenistan in the summer, which was the basis for local forensic doctors to prepare methodological recommendations for these conditions.

Where does desiccation appear on the corpse, what forensic significance does it have?

Partial drying occurs in the first minutes after death and depends on the evaporation of tissue moisture. It appears faster in places that are moisturized during life. These are the white membranes and corneas of the eyes, which is noticeable by clouding, loss of shine and the appearance of horizontal or triangular (with open eyes) spots at the corners of the eyes. These grayish-yellow spots appear after 2-3 hours and are called Larche spots. Drying is noticeable on the edges of the lips, in those places where the epidermis is thin: on the scrotum, as well as on the mucous membrane of the female genital organs and the head of the male penis. Post-mortem damage is exposed to drying out, forming parchment stains. Because of their dense yellowish-brown crust, they resemble abrasions.

Dried areas of skin on the scrotum, genitals, parchment spots in places of compression on the chest during indirect cardiac massage or accidental beats, during manipulations with a corpse can be mistaken for intravital injuries and lead to incorrect conclusions. To determine the origin of the stain, it is moistened with water, and a wet cloth, preferably soaked in an vinegar-alcohol solution, is applied to the surface. The parchment stain will completely disappear in 2-3 hours, but the abrasion will remain. To resolve the issue, you can also make an incision at the border of the spot with unchanged skin. The identification of the same color of the underlying tissues indicates a spot of cadaveric desiccation, because with intravital damage the underlying tissues will be dark red in color.

It is not possible to determine the age of death by desiccation.

What is rigor mortis and what forensic significance does it have?

Rigor mortis is a post-mortem tightening of muscles that usually appears after 2-3 hours. Immediately after death, muscle relaxation occurs, which leads to sagging of the jaw, limbs, mobility in the joints, and the muscles become soft to the touch. But after some time, starting with the chewing muscles, neck, then the torso, upper and lower extremities, rigor develops, which ends after 18-20 hours. Over time, the intensity of the development of rigor mortis increases, reaching a maximum at the end of the day.

The timing and degree of development of rigor mortis depends on many factors. This is the degree of muscle development: in emaciated people, with acute anemia, in decrepit old people, rigor is weakly expressed, and in newborns it is absent.

High temperatures and dry air accelerate the development of rigor mortis. At low temperatures, rigor mortis develops more slowly in water. Rapid rigor is promoted by well-developed muscles, electric shock, poisoning with certain poisons, tetanus, epilepsy, and great physical activity before death, which lead to intravital convulsions.

The technique for studying rigor mortis involves feeling the muscles to determine the degree of density, as well as flexing or straightening the limbs at the joints. When describing rigor, the degree of its development should be noted: weak, moderate, strong. By the end of the second day and later, in a warm room, rigor mortis resolves, and at low temperatures, rigor mortis can persist for 6-7 days. Muscle relaxation occurs in the same order - from top to bottom and is associated with the development of autolysis and putrefactive processes. Rigor mortis is an unconditional sign of death; it allows us to judge the time of death and, to some extent, helps in resolving the issue of its cause. Rigor mortis records the post-mortem position of the deceased at the time of rigor rigor in this area and can be used to establish a possible change in position or any manipulation of the corpse. After artificial resolution of rigor mortis for 8-10 hours, it is restored again. This does not happen at a later date. This may be when removing his clothes or changing his position, or due to the deliberate insertion of a weapon in his hand for the purpose of simulating suicide.

Why do cadaveric spots form, what determine their characteristics and rate of development?

Cadaveric spots are formed due to the fact that after the cessation of blood circulation due to cardiac arrest and a drop in blood pressure, blood flows due to gravity to the underlying sections. It is visible under the skin in the form of purple spots of varying degrees of severity. Sometimes various parts of clothing (collar, buttons) prevent the formation of cadaveric stains, leading to imprints of the corresponding shape. There are three stages of development of cadaveric spots:

1. Cadaveric influx (hypostasis), when blood descends in the vessels and changes color in the lower parts of the corpse. On average, this manifests itself after 2-4 hours. When pressed with a finger or a dynamometer, the blood is squeezed out of the vessels, this leads to the disappearance of the color, the color of which is quickly restored. If the position of the corpse is changed at this time, the cadaveric spots will move to a new underlying surface of the body. This is observed until 8-12 hours, when the development of the 1st stage of the cadaveric spot ends.

2. Corpse stasis (diffusion) is characterized by thickening and disintegration of blood, difficulty in its movement and the development of intense coloring. When pressed with a finger, the stain turns pale and slowly after a few minutes restores (after the pressure is removed) its original color. This stage lasts up to 20-24 hours. If at this time the corpse is turned over to the opposite surface, the cadaveric spots will move, but very slowly and only partially.

3. Corpse imbibition (imbibition) occurs within 20-24 hours. Due to blood hemolysis, i.e. the breakdown of its formed elements, the release of hemoglobin and plasma, the walls of blood vessels and the skin are saturated with blood. Therefore, when you press a finger on a cadaveric spot, its color does not change, and when the corpse is moved, it remains in the same place.

Simultaneously with the development of cadaveric spots, blood accumulates in the lower parts of the internal organs. For example, in the muscles of the occipital region, as a result of a leak, hemolyzed blood soaked the muscles and their color became dark red. This was mistaken by the doctor for injury caused by a blunt object from a blow or fall, which could lead to an investigative error. However, the gradual movement of blood and the absence of hemorrhage during microscopic examination of the muscles made it possible to correctly determine this cadaveric change.

The rate of appearance, degree of development, and intensity of cadaveric spots depend on a number of external and internal factors. High ambient temperatures accelerate the formation and development of cadaveric spots. Then they appear after 1.5-2 hours, and after 10 hours the stage of imbibition begins. With heavy blood loss, cadaveric spots may be completely absent or weakly expressed in color intensity, and in such cases they appear only in patches. With a quick death, the blood in the corpse is liquid, remains in the vessels and quickly forms abundant cadaveric spots. During a long agonal period, the blood coagulates, forming yellow and red clots and, due to the limited nature of its liquid part, the cadaveric spots are poorly expressed.

What is the forensic significance of cadaveric spots?

First of all, they reliably testify to the fact of death. Their study makes it possible to establish the duration of its onset, which will be noted below.

By the localization of cadaveric spots, one can judge the position of the corpse during the period of their formation, the change in the position of the body and the discrepancy with the circumstances of the incident. For example, cadaveric spots in the lower parts of the arms (on the hands) and legs (in the area of ​​​​the feet and ankle joints) indicate that the corpse was hanging during the period of formation of the spots. If, due to the circumstances of the case, the corpse was removed from the loop before the arrival of the investigator and forensic expert and examination of the corpse, and cadaveric spots were found on the back surface of the corpse lying on the bed, it should be concluded that the corpse was removed from the loop before the formation of cadaveric marks. spots and laid on his back. Or it was in the first 8-12 hours after death, during the period of hypostasis, when the cadaveric spots completely move to a new location.

The color of cadaveric spots depends on changes in blood hemoglobin and changes when it transitions to other states. For example, in case of carbon monoxide poisoning, when it combines with hemoglobin in the blood and forms carboxyhemoglobin, the blood and cadaveric spots turn bright red. When poisoned with cyanide compounds, cadaveric stains, like blood, acquire a cherry tint. The unusual color of cadaveric spots allows us to suspect the action of some poisons or dying conditions in order to plan further research.

Sometimes cadaveric spots resemble bruises, especially those that occur shortly before death. In such cases there should be no diagnostic error, because bruise - intravital injury from a blunt object. To resolve the issue, it should be taken into account that cadaveric spots are formed only in the underlying sections; they are usually diffuse. On the incision, protruding blood is easily removed, the color of the tissue is not changed. Bruising is often accompanied by rawness and swelling, has clear boundaries and is located anywhere. On the cut, the tissue is dark red in color, and blood clots are found. If in doubt, skin should be taken for histological examination.

Thus, cadaveric spots have great forensic medical significance: they are a reliable sign of death, can indicate the position of the corpse during the period of formation of the spots and a possible change in the position of the body, allow one to judge how long ago the death occurred, the conditions under which the corpse was located, the rate of death, and indicate the possibility of poisoning .

What is autolysis and how is it expressed on a corpse?

Autolysis (cadaveric self-digestion), an early cadaveric change that occurs some time after death, because some tissues are affected by enzymes that continue to be formed after death. This leads to flabbiness of organs, loss of their characteristic structure, smoothing of the mucous membrane and their disintegration. Such organs become dull and become saturated with blood plasma. Autolysis is better expressed in the stomach. The significance of autolysis is that the post-mortem changes it leads to resemble painful intravital processes, which, if not known, can cause diagnostic errors.

Under what conditions does decay of a corpse develop and what significance does this have for forensic medical examination?

Rotting leads to the decomposition of proteins and other tissues, which occurs under the influence of various microbes that rapidly multiply in the body after the death of a person, when protective barriers cease to function. Rotting begins in the colon, where there are especially many microbes; the putrefactive process develops faster if there is an infectious disease in the body. The rate of decay is promoted by high temperatures, especially +20 - +40°C. It stops at temperatures of 0°C and below, as well as above +55°C. Therefore, in the warm season or in a warm room, corpses rot faster and can be stored for a long time in cold weather and especially in the refrigerator.

The first signs of rotting appear in the appearance of an unpleasant “putrid” odor caused by the formation of putrefactive gases:

hydrogen sulfide, methane, ammonia and others. They permeate all soft tissues, smoothing out wrinkles and swelling the face, turning out the lips and pushing the tongue out of the mouth. All this changes the appearance of a person beyond recognition even for people close to him, because all corpses take on the same appearance, which greatly complicates identification. A putrefactive venous network forms on the body, this is the translucency of tree-like branched blood vessels, putrefactive blisters, and skin tears. The skin of the corpse turns a dirty green color.

The internal organs also disintegrate: the brain acquires a mushy mass of a greenish color. Later, other organs, such as the spleen, liver, kidneys, and heart, also rot. The uterus, blood vessels, and cartilage remain unchanged longer. Gradually, the melting and destruction of the tissue occurs, the color of the hair changes, and skeletonization of the corpse occurs. Bones can be preserved for centuries. Sharp putrefactive changes and even skeletonization should not prevent the appointment of a forensic medical examination.

It is impossible to accurately determine the timing of decay, much less the duration of death, since many factors influence the rate of decomposition of a corpse. First of all, this is the optimal temperature for microflora from +25°C to +45°C with moderate humidity. At temperatures up to +10° and after +55°C, rotting slows down, as well as in cold rooms or cold rooms. Decay slows down somewhat in case of heavy blood loss, poisoning with cyanide compounds, sublimate, and after the use of antibiotics shortly before death. Emaciated corpses decompose more slowly than well-fed ones.

What late preservative changes in the corpse are known and under what conditions do they occur?

In cases where the air is dry and there is good ventilation, corpses quickly lose moisture and dry out, which is called natural preservation of the corpse or mummification. This may occur when the corpse is in an open area or when it is buried in sandy, well-ventilated soil. The corpse loses up to 9/10 of its original mass, decreases by
volume, the skin becomes dense, acquires a brownish-brown color, internal organs decrease in volume and become dry. Such preservation of the corpse preserves the damage: strangulation groove, signs of disease, gunshot wounds, damage from blunt or sharp objects, but their features are masked and changed. To a certain extent, it is possible to restore damage in an acetic-alcohol solution with the addition of hydrogen peroxide. It is important that the general appearance of a person, his gender, height (albeit somewhat reduced), and individual anatomical features are preserved. You can determine the group, gender specificity. All this makes it possible to identify a person in cases of identification, although these possibilities should not be overestimated.

Complete mummification of an adult is achieved in 6-12 months, a child, especially a newborn, within a month or two.

In other conditions, when a corpse falls into water or is buried in clayey, moist soil, in the absence of air, rotting stops and the corpse turns into fat wax. The tissue of a human corpse, which has turned into fat wax, thickens, loses its structure, acquires a cheesy appearance, a grayish-yellow color, with the smell of rancid cheese. Initially, this happens in places where there is the most fat: subcutaneous fat, cheeks, buttocks, and mammary glands. Like mummification, it can involve part of the body or the entire corpse. The transformation of an adult corpse into adipose wax requires 10-12 months, a newborn corpse - 2-4 weeks. Fat wax is similar in meaning to mummification. It is noted that chemical examination can reveal poisons, even alcohol, in its tissues.

Among other types of natural preservation of corpses, peat tanning should be noted, which

happens when it gets into peat bogs. The humic acids contained in them seem to tan the skin, it thickens and becomes dark brown. The bones become soft and can be cut with a knife.

Corpses are well preserved at low temperatures, for example, in glaciers, in water with a high salt content, in oil and other liquids.

What other than rotting can destroy a corpse?

The corpse is subject to destruction not only by the putrefactive process, but also by some animals, birds, and insects. This can be observed when the corpse is in an open area or indoors. Significant destruction is caused by flies and their larvae, which multiply at lightning speed. Within 15-24 hours, eggs are laid in all natural openings, which soon turn into larvae, and after a few days into pupae, then flies emerge from them. If the corpse is accessible to insects, the process of its destruction is divided into 4 periods, which makes it possible to determine the duration of death. The corpse is destroyed by ants, cockroaches, mites, and carrion beetles; they cause damage that disfigures the face of the corpse.

Damage is caused by rodents and predators, leaving wounds with scalloped edges from teeth. Parts of the corpse can be carried away by animals. Birds (crows, vultures) cause damage similar to puncture wounds. It is very important to correctly assess the damage and establish its post-mortem nature.

Stages of decomposition of a corpse The first minute after Death occurs when the brain stops receiving oxygen. This leads to the fact that other vital organs cease to perform their functions. The body becomes paler and stiff almost immediately due to lack of blood circulation. The eyes take on a glassy shine and the body temperature begins to gradually drop due to a drop in oxygen levels. From 1 to 9 minutes The blood coagulates and gives the skin a red-blue tint. The muscles relax, which can result in emptying of the stomach and bladder. Brain cells die. The pupils become cloudy - this is the result of the destruction of potassium in red blood cells. Many doctors believe that the condition of the eyes can more accurately determine the time of death than rigor mortis. This process can take up to 3 hours. At its end, the brain stem dies. From 1 to 8 hours Muscles become stiff and hair grows. Rigor mortis occurs due to lactic acid in the muscles. Woody, they put pressure on the hair follicles and it seems that the hair continues to grow even after death. From 4 to 6 hours after death, rigor mortis spreads throughout the body. Clotted blood gives the skin a black tint. Processes similar to the destruction of the liver by alcohol continue. The next stage of body cooling begins. In this case, the temperature drops much faster. From 1 to 5 days The rigor has passed. The body is again soft and flexible. Funeral service workers use this time to prepare the deceased for the funeral. Dress, put on shoes, put on makeup and fold your arms over your chest. But they need to be buried as soon as possible. After all, very soon (from 24 to 72 hours) microbes begin to corrode the pancreas and stomach. This process leads to liquefaction of internal organs. After 3-5 days of decomposition, the body becomes covered with large blisters. If no measures are taken before this time (embalming, refrigerator), the deceased will look very unpresentable at the funeral. It is quite possible that bloody foam will ooze from his mouth and nose. 8 to 10 days Bacteria living in the intestines feed on dead tissue and produce gases. The body swells and emits a foul odor. Due to swelling of the tissue in the neck and face, the tongue protrudes from the mouth. Facial features are distorted and make identification difficult, if necessary. The resulting gases push any remaining feces and fluids out. The body changes color from red to green as red blood cells begin to degrade. 2 weeks Hair and nails are separated from the body almost effortlessly. The skin condition makes it difficult to move the body. It may slip off the decaying muscles like a glove and lie somewhere nearby. The body can only be identified by its teeth. But even if they fell out, they most likely did not fly far from the body. 1 month Depending on environmental conditions, the leather either decomposes or dries out. And then the blowfly comes onto the scene. Often the time of death is determined precisely by the life activity of this insect. After the fly completes work on the internal organs, under certain conditions the body can turn into a mummy. Several months During this period, the body turns into the so-called fat wax. This process is called saponification and occurs through anaerobic bacterial hydrolysis. There is evidence that in the 17th century candles were made from such remains for religious vigils. In any case, if the body is found in this condition, then it is quite possible that his facial features are preserved and his identity can be established. Year If the body was in the lap of nature all this time, then predators most likely have already feasted on its bones. Vultures, raccoons, wolves and other carrion lovers are unlikely to have left anything that could shed light on either the identity of the deceased or the circumstances of his death. But if the teeth are preserved, identification is quite possible. So it is very important to go to the dentist in a timely manner and keep a special dental record in order to make the work of our valiant criminologists easier. Yes, just in case. Anything happens in life

We all die. But what happens to your body after this? This is how it will live after you yourself have already passed away.

Life goes on

You are dead when your brain has irreversibly stopped functioning. At least according to the definition set out in Swedish law. But some parts of the body still continue to live. The body does not die at once, as many believe. Experts distinguish between the death of an individual and the death of cells.

Strange noises

For example, heart valves can be used for 36 hours after death, and corneas continue to function twice as long.

Quite a few strange things can also happen, such as dead bodies making strange noises, people continuing to think, and dead men getting erections. Let's take a look at some of the things that can happen to your body at various times from 30 seconds to 50 years after you die.

30 seconds

Brain cells are sensitive to lack of oxygen and are among the first to decompose. However, some nerve cells can survive for so long that scientists are not entirely sure whether you are still perceiving something even though you are already considered dead.

The dead keep thinking

Research has shown that brain activity can be around zero for more than a minute, indicating that a person is dead, and then rise to a level comparable to being fully awake, only to then drop back to zero. What happens in this case is still not entirely clear.

According to some assumptions, the brain awakens again to life because the soul leaves the body. From a scientific point of view, this phenomenon is explained by the fact that a large number of nerve cells emit impulses one last time.

Scientists are wondering whether this could explain why people brought back to life after cardiac arrest report light and strong feelings. In this case, they could be conscious even after their heart stopped beating, and they could retain thoughts and feelings even when brain activity was close to zero for a while.

No one knows

This phenomenon has also led to discussions about whether transplant surgeons should wait for a possible surge in activity before proceeding.

“It is unlikely that a person is conscious during such brain activity. But the only ones who have actually come close and can say anything about it are those who have experienced near-death experiences,” says brain researcher Lars Olsson from the Karolinska Institutet.

12 hours

After 12-18 hours, cadaveric spots reach their maximum coverage. They arise due to blood sedimentation. They can, for example, show whether the corpse was moved, which is what forensic doctors pay attention to, for example, when a crime is being investigated.

24 hours

Macrophages are another type of long-lived cell. They belong to the immune system. It was possible to track that they can work for another day after you have died, for example, destroying soot in the lungs after a fire.

36 hours

Even though your heart has stopped beating, your heart valves can survive well because they contain connective tissue cells that last a long time. Heart valves can be used for transplantation for as long as 36 hours after a person's death.

72 hours

The cornea also continues to live. It can be used within three days after you die. This is explained, among other things, by the fact that the cornea is very close to the surface, in direct contact with the air and receiving oxygen from it.

96 hours

When a body begins to decompose, gases are produced. They can cause strange and unpleasant sounds such as moaning and muffled crying. It happened that this phenomenon very frightened people who even thought that the dead man had come to life.

After a few days, dirty green spots appear on the body. They often begin to spread from the abdomen - due to bacteria. Well, then they spread throughout the body.

An erection occurs

Although the likelihood of this happening is very low, cases of dead men having erections have also been reported. This is because the blood can collect into clots that still contain nutrients and oxygen.

Blood provides nutrition to cells that are receptive to calcium. Certain muscles are activated by calcium, and in men, this can cause a particular muscle to contract and result in an erection.

Hair and nails grow

Henrik Druid, a forensic physician and legal scientist, performed approximately 6,000 autopsies. According to him, many people believe that hair and nails continue to grow after a person has died. But this is a misconception.

“The skin loses fluid, shrinks and tightens. It looks like your nails and hair are sticking out more than before. But the fact that they are growing is an illusion.”

Liquid leakage

After a couple of weeks, dead bodies are usually already badly damaged.

“Then you can see signs of severe decomposition. For example, the body turns brownish-green, fluid-filled blisters appear on the skin that may burst, and fluid may leak from the mouth and nostrils, including from tissues and muscles.

In addition, corpses often swell and emit unpleasant odors. At this moment, the rigor stops, and the body becomes very soft: the skin, muscles and organs have already decomposed. When the body no longer has immunity, bacteria in it are free to multiply, feed and destroy it.

And if you also had some kind of infection, and you died with harmful bacteria inside, or you had cancer, then your body will decompose even faster.”

Laying larvae

How quickly the decomposition process takes place also depends on the environment. If a body is kept warm, it decomposes faster than if it is cool. A body left in nature is largely destroyed within a month, after it is taken over by bacteria and insects. The body is usually preserved in a coffin for much longer.

“But sometimes flies manage to lay faces, including in body openings - eyes, nose, mouth and anus - before the body hits the ground. This can happen in just a few days. Then they will go into the coffin with the body and continue to decompose it.”

Dug up again

After a year, as a rule, the bodies lying in the ground are completely eaten by bacteria, and only bones remain. But there are also exceptions. One example is the famous case from the Swedish city of Arboga, where a body was dug up a year after burial, and it could still be opened.

“It depends on the conditions. For example, it matters how wet or dry it was in the ground and the coffin. Bacteria thrive in a humid environment.”

Soapy consistency

A body can survive in water much longer than in land, which was confirmed, among other things, during the recovery from the bottom of the steamer Freja in 1994. The ship sank 98 years earlier, and yet the bodies were identified.

In the water in the body, the formation of the so-called fat wax occurs, due to which it becomes hard and acquires a soapy consistency, which is unfavorable for bacteria.

As for the skeletons, according to calculations, they should decay in the grave over a fifty-year period. But even here everything can vary greatly. It happened that bones were preserved for hundreds of thousands of years.

From the moment the heart stops, bodies become surprisingly active. And even though the dead will not be able to tell what decomposition is and how this whole process takes place, biologists can do this.

Life after death

The irony is that in order to rot, our bodies must teem with life.

1. Cardiac arrest

The heart stops and the blood thickens. The very moment that doctors call “the time of death.” Once this happens, all other parts of the body begin to die at different rates.

2. Two-tone coloring

The blood, which the “motor” has stopped dispersing through the vessels, accumulates in the veins and arteries. Since it no longer flows, the body takes on a complex coloration. His lower part turns purple-blue, like a juicy black eye after a glorious brawl. The laws of physics are to blame: liquid settles in the lower part of the body due to the effects of gravity. The rest of the skin located at the top will have a deathly pale color because the blood has accumulated elsewhere. The circulatory system no longer works, red blood cells lose hemoglobin, which is responsible for their red color, and gradually discoloration occurs, giving a pale color to the tissues.

3. Deadly cold

Algor mortis is the Latin word for “deadly cold.” Bodies lose their lifetime 36.6°C and slowly adapt to room temperature. The cooling rate is about 0.8°C per hour.

Global Look Press/ZUMAPRESS.com/Danilo Balducci

4. Rigor mortis

Hardening and stiffening of limb muscles occurs several hours after death, when the entire body begins to stiffen due to decreased ATP (adenosine triphosphate) levels. Rigor mortis begins in the eyelids and neck muscles. The process of rigor rigor itself is not endless - it stops subsequently when the enzymatic decomposition of muscle tissue begins.

5. Chaotic movements

Yes, the blood has drained and frozen, but bodies are still capable of twitching and bending for several hours after death. Muscle tissue contracts as a person dies, and depending on how many and which muscles contracted during the agony, the body of the deceased may even appear to move.

6. Younger face

As the muscles eventually stop contracting, the wrinkles disappear. Death is a little like Botox. The only trouble is that you are already dead and cannot rejoice in this circumstance.

7. The intestines empty

Although rigor mortis causes the body to freeze, not all organs do so. At the moment of death, our sphincter finally gains freedom, getting rid of total control. When the brain stops regulating involuntary functions, the sphincter begins to do what it wants: it opens, and all the “residues” leave the body.

Global Look Press/imago stock&people/Eibner-Pressefoto

8. Corpses smell great

Corpses are known to smell. Putrid odors are the result of a surge of enzymes, which fungi and bacteria, designed for decomposition processes, perceive as a signal to attack. In the tissues of a corpse there is a mass of everything that allows them to actively reproduce. The “feast” of bacteria and fungi is accompanied by the generation of putrefactive gases with corresponding odors.

9. Animal Invasion

Blowflies literally step on the heels of bacteria and fungi. They rush to lay their eggs in the deceased body, which then turn into larvae. The larvae cheerfully bite into dead flesh. Later they are joined by ticks, ants, spiders, and then larger scavengers.

10. Farewell sounds

Wild trash from all the doctors and nurses! Bodies will emit gases, creak and groan! All this is the result of a combination of rigor mortis and the vigorous activity of the intestines, which continue to release gas.

11. The intestines are digested

The intestines are filled with a variety of bacteria, which after death do not have to travel far - they immediately attack the intestines. Freed from the immune system's control, the bacteria go on a wild feast.

12. Eyes pop out of their sockets

As organs decompose and the intestines produce gases, these gases cause eyes to bulge from their sockets and tongues to swell and fall out of mouths.

"Universal Pictures Rus"

13. Bloated skin

Gases rush upward, gradually separating the skin from the bones and muscles.

14. Rotting

Following the “slipping down” blood, all the cells of the body tend downward under the influence of gravity. The body tissues have already lost their density due to decomposed proteins. Once the putrefaction reaches its apotheosis, the corpses become “sweet” and spongy. In the end, only bones remain.

15. Bones come last

Decades after bacteria, fungi and other organisms have finished off the flesh, the protein in the bones breaks down, leaving behind hydroxyapatite, a bone mineral. But over time it turns to dust.

The dead hear everything

Everything that happens to us beyond the line separating life from death was, is and will remain a mystery for a long time. Hence - a lot of fantasies, sometimes quite scary. Especially if they are somewhat realistic.

A dead woman giving birth is one of these horrors. Several centuries ago, when mortality in Europe was prohibitively high, the number of women who died during pregnancy was also high. All the same gases described above led to the expulsion of an already non-viable fetus from the body. All this is casuistry, but the few cases that occurred are documented, writes the Bigpicture portal.

"UPI"

A relative crouched in a coffin is a quite probable phenomenon, but, to put it mildly, exciting. People in past centuries felt about the same as we do today. It was the fear of witnessing something like this, combined with the hope that the dead person might suddenly come to life, that at one time led to the appearance of “houses of the dead.” When relatives doubted that a person was dead, they left him in a room in such a house with a rope tied to his finger, says Naked-Science. The other end of the rope led to a bell located in the next room. If the deceased “came to life”, the bell rang, and the guard, serving in a chair next to the bell, immediately rushed to the deceased. Most often, the alarm was false - the cause of the ringing was the movement of bones caused by gases or the sudden relaxation of muscles. The deceased left the “house of the dead” when there was no longer any doubt about the processes of decay.

The development of medicine, oddly enough, only aggravates the confusion around the processes of death. Thus, doctors have found that some parts of the body continue to live after death for quite a long time, writes InoSMI. Such “long-livers” include heart valves: they contain connective tissue cells that retain “good shape” for some time after death. Thus, heart valves from a deceased person can be used for transplantation within 36 hours of cardiac arrest.

The cornea lives twice as long. Its usefulness lasts three days after you die. This is explained by the fact that the cornea is in direct contact with air and receives oxygen from it.

This can also explain the “long life path” of the auditory nerve. The deceased, as doctors say, loses hearing, the last of all his five senses. For another three days the dead hear everything - hence the famous: “About the deceased - everything or nothing but the truth.”