The Chemistry of Body Decomposition Essay Example

body is referred to as putrefaction and leads to the second stage of decomposition.

The second stage of decomposition is the bloat stage. This Is where visual changes begin to appear.

Anaerobic metabolism takes place which leads to the accumulation of gases, (hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, and methane). These gases within the body cavity cause the body to swell, "bloating". The gases cause natural liquids and quaffing tissues to become ;frothy. As pressure of the gases In the body Increase, fluids escape from the nose, mouth, and anus and enter the surrounding environment.

The Increase of pressure along with the loss of skin Integrity can also cause the body to rupture. Intestinal anaerobic bacteria change hemoglobin Into selenologist.

The gases which accumulate within the body lad In the transportation of selenologist through the body through the circulatory and lymphatic systems, this gives the body If there is access, insects invade to lay eggs. Maggots later hatch and feed on the odd's tissues.

Maggot activity causes the skin to sag and hair to fall from the skin. Maggot feeding and the rising pressures of gases within the body eventually lead to post-mortem skin ruptures; these will then further allow the leaking of gases and fluids into the environment.

These ruptures in the skin allow oxygen to flow into the body and give more room for development of fly larvae and aerobic microorganism activity. The leaking of gases and fluids are the cause of the distinctive odors associated with decay. The third stage of decomposition is active decay.

Active decay is known as the period of the greatest mass loss. This loss is due to feeding of

maggots and the leaking of decomposition fluids. The fluids accumulate around the body and create a cadaver decomposition island, (CDC).

Liquefaction and disintegration of tissues become visible and strong odors noticeable. The end of the active decay stage is the migration of maggots away from the body. Decomposition in the advanced stage is slowed down because of the loss of availability of cadaver material.

If the decomposing body is on soil, the area will have vegetation death. The CDC surrounding the body will show increase in soil carbon and nutrients, these include phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, changes in the pH, and an increase in soil nitrogen.

In the last stage, the dry remains stage, the Rexroth of plants around the CDC can take place. All that remain of the body at this stage include dry skin, cartilage, and bones. The bones will become dry and bleached if exposed to the elements. If all soft tissue is removed from the body, it is called "completely exoskeletons", if only portions of the bones are exposed, it is "partially exoskeletons".

As the body passes through these stages, different processes of degradation take place: protein, carbohydrate, lipid, nucleic acid, and bone degradation.

Proteolysis breaks down proteins in the body. It is a hydrolysis reaction of peptide bonds. Carbohydrates are broken down by microorganisms. Lipids are hydrolysis, and their fatty acids then processed through anaerobic or aerobic degradation, depending on the amount of oxygen.

Breaking down nucleic acids produces nitrogenous bases, phosphates, and sugars. The products are broken down in three separate ways: nitrogenous bases will go through the same process as proteins. Phosphates will go through the same

process as proteins and phosphoric.

Sugars, (carbohydrates), are degraded depending on the amount of oxygen available. Bone degradation, (disengages), is the removal of collagen when it is broken down from a protein into peptides.

The peptides then broken down into amino acids, when the collagen has been removed from the bone, ions, such as calcium, are lost to the environment. The protein-mineral bond that gave the bone with its strength is compromised by this degradation, which leads to a weakened structure, which