HTP - secondary changes after somatic death

Primary flaccidity (At the moment of death

all of the muscles in the body relax; eyelids lose their tension, the pupils dilate, the jaw might fall open, and the body's joints and limbs are flexible.

Pallor Mortis (minutes after death)

a stage of death giving a corpse a pale lifeless appearance. Skin becomes pale

Algor mortis (After 1 hour)

cooling of the body; “death chill”

Rigor mortis (After 7-12 hours)

- stiffness or rigidity of the body that occurs after it reaches its peak of 12 hours of death. ○ Stiffness in arrector pili of the muscle: pimpled goosbump appearnce, eyelids, neck

Livor mortis (After 2-6 hours)-

Refers to Purplish discoloration, reddish-blue staining of the low-lying dependent regions of the body after death ● Reduction of Oxygenated blood to Deoxygenated

Postmortem lividity

Due to the cessation of the blood circulation after death and the blood starts moving towards the dependent regions of the body due to gravity ● Also called postmortem staining, Postmortem lividity, Postmortem hypostasis

Autolysis

self-digestion of cells or the breakdown of tissues by enzymes liberated

Putrefaction

Decomposition of the body carried out by the microbial actions

Invasion of the body by microorganisms from the gastrointestinal tract resulting in the production of a foul odor.

Clostridium welchii

principal bacterial agent

which releases lecithinase causing hydrolysis of lecithin in the blood cells leading to lysis

Adipocere formation/Saponification

postmortem decomposition product which forms from a body's adipose tissue; grayish-white in consistency that can vary from crumbly to paste-like appearance ; “grave wax” or “fat of graveyards” formed from hydrolysis and hydrogenation of fats and lipids.