Page 94 - Veritas

WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BODY AFTER DEATH?
WHA T HAPPENS TO YOUR BODY AFTER DEA TH?

SECONDS
HOURS
MINUTES
SECONDS MINUTES HOURS DA YS WEEKS MONTHS
MONTHS
WEEKS
DAYS
BRAIN AC- Your cells Calcium You turn Bugs eat you If your body
TIVITY surges, begin dying builds up in green in MAGGOTS is left at 50
then it stops. due to lack the muscles spots because can digest degree F,
of oxygen, causing them ENZYMES 60% of a it will take
then starts to to tense. This in your OR- body within a about months
break down “rigor mortis” GANS start week. for your soft
and leak- be- lasts 36 hours. digesting tissues to
Your body ginning the themselves, decompose
TEMPERA- process of Eventually usually with You can turn until just your
TURE drops. putrefaction. your muscles the help of purple then skeleton is all

relax, causing the bacteria. black as BAC- that is left.
you to release TERIA contin-
any remain- ue to digest
ing faeces or your body.
urine.

Your skin You start to Your HAIR
shrinks as smell terri- starts to fall
it dries out, ble because out.
making your your decaying
hair and nail body releases
seem like it’s chemicals like
growing. cadaverine.

Gravity pulls
your blood
down, mak-
ing light skin
look pale
with reddish
splotches.

References:
References:
• Jalan, M. (2018). What Are The 4 Postmortem Stages of Death?.Rat-
tenbury, A. E. (2018). Forensic taphonomy. In Forensic Ecogenomics (pp.
37-59). Academic Press.https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-809360-

3.00002-3

VERITAS 79