Death & Body Systems

Algor Mortis

Cooling of the body after death.

Autopsy

Medical examination after death to determine cause & manner of death.

Cause of Death

The injury or condition responsible for a person’s death (such as heart attack, kidney failure, head trauma, etc.)

Coroner

An elected official who certifies deaths and can order additional investigations of suspicious deaths.

Decomposition

The breakdown of once-living matter by living organisms (ex. bacteria, fungi, etc.)

Livor Mortis

The pooling of the blood at the lowest point of the body after death that results in a red or purplish skin color.

Manner of Death

One of five ways in which a person’s death is classified (i.e. natural, accidental, suicidal, homicidal, or undetermined).

Medical Examiner

A physician who performs autopsies, determines the cause and manner of death, and oversees death investigations.

Rigor Mortis

The stiffening of the skeletal muscles after death.

Asphyxiation

When the amount of oxygen available to the lungs decreases sharply while the level of other harmful gases increases.

Erythrocyte

Red blood cell.

Homeostasis

Maintaining a balanced internal environment.

Leukocyte

White blood cell.

Lividity

Pooling of the blood in the lowest portion of the body after death.

Platelets

Proteins that help form blood clots at wound sites; also called thrombocytes.

Suffocation

Condition in which the amount of oxygen available to the lungs is quickly diminished.