Agonal Changes

Human, deprived of life, not entirely disintegrated

What are the 3 conditions that must be met in order to declare a body a dead body?

Expert tests

Tests for death conducted only by physicians in most states.

Inexpert tests

Tests for death conducted prior to expert tests.

Ligature test

Tying string around the finger of the supposedly dead person to see if it turns red.

5 minutes

How long do brain and nervous system cells take to die after biological death?

3 hours

How long do muscle cells take to die after biological death?

6 hours

How long do cornea and blood cells take to die after biological death.

Translocation of microorganisms

When microorganisms in the body travel from intestinal areas to the blood vascular system due to capillary permeability changes. Speeds the rate of decomposition.

Antemortem subcutaneous emphysema

Distension of the tissues beneath the skin by gas or air prior to death.

Gas gangrene

A tissue gas caused by clostridium perfringens after death. Will make the body unrecognizable and can even transfer from one body to another.

Skin starts blistering and falling off

What happens to the body one week after death?

Hair, nails, and teeth fall out

What happens to the body one month after death?

Body organs liquify causing swelling until body bursts

After a long time, what will eventually happen to the body after death?

Coffin birth or postmortem fetal extrusion

Occurs when a female is pregnant prior to death and the body expels the fetus.

Cadaveric lividity or postmortem lividity

Livor mortis is also known as what?

Contact palor

Occurs when the body is lying on something prior to death, which blocks the blood from pooling in that specific area.

Patterned livor mortis

Occurs when the body is lying on something patterned, allowing certain areas in the pattern to block pooling of blood while other areas allow it.

Desiccation

Dehydration of the body can also be called what?

Imbibition

Postmortem edema can also be called what, which is the ability of the cells to draw moisture from the surrounding area into themselves?

Agglutination

The increase in blood viscosity.

Loss of luster in sclera and cornea

What changes in the eye can be observed immediately after death?

Agonal period

The period immediately before somatic death.

Capillary expansion and agonal edema

Increased levels of moisture in the body prior to death may be caused by what?

Postmortem stain

When pressing on a discolored area and the color does not change, the discoloration is what?

2,3,1

Place numbers in order.

1. Postmortem stain

2. Hypostasis

3. Livor mortis

Saprophytic bacteria

Bacteria that derive their nutrition from dead organic matter.

Body

Soma means:

Clinical death, brain death, biological death, postmortem cellular death

What are the stages of somatic death?

Temperature changes, circulatory changes, moisture changes, translocation of microorganisms

Changes occurring during the agonal period can be related to their effect on what?

Physical

Is algor mortis a physical or chemical change?

Physical

Is dehydration a physical or chemical change?

Physical

Is hypostasis a physical or chemical change?

Physical

Is livor mortis a physical or chemical change?

Physical

Is the increase in blood viscosity a physical or chemical change?

Physical

Is the invasion of microorganisms a physical or chemical change?

Chemical

Is postmortem caloricity a physical or chemical change?

Chemical

Is change in body pH a physical or chemical change?

Chemical

Is rigor mortis a physical or chemical change?

Chemical

Is postmortem stain a physical or chemical change?

Chemical

Is decomposition a physical or chemical change?

Surface evaporation

Results from the passage of air over the surface of the body and exposure to direct air currents.

Gravitation

Hypostasis of the blood and body fluids is also known as what?

Sludge

When formed elements of the blood stick together in clumps, what do they form?

Plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets

What are the 4 components of blood?

Colon

What is the primary source of many of the translocated microbial agents in the body?