Daelyn Sagert September 28, 2017 Comp. 1 4th period Process Essay Process of Decomposing Bodies The purpose of this paper is to explain the process through which bodies decompose. Human decomposition is a natural and normal process that includes the breakdown of tissues after a person dies. The rate of human decomposition can vary do to several things which include: the weather, temperature, moisture, pH levels, oxygen levels, cause of death, and body position. Even with all those factors, all human bodies go through the same four stages of human decomposition. There are four main stages of human decomposition, all including sub-stages within them. The four stages are: autolysis, bloat, active decay, and skeletonization (What Are). The first stage of human decomposition is autolysis, also called the “fresh” stage (What Are). Autolysis is the destruction of cells and tissues by their own enzymes (substance produced by living organism causing …show more content…
Active decay can start anywhere from the fifth to the eleventh day after death (Decomposition). Fluids will release through the body’s orifices, officially beginning the active decay stage. Muscles, skin, and organs become liquefied. Once all of the soft tissue from the body decomposes; cartilage, hair, bones, and some other byproducts of decay still remain. The corpse (cadaver/body) loses the most mass during this stage than any of the other stages (What Are). The carcass (body) deflates in this stage and putrid smelling internal gasses are released. The odor is clearly more strong and potent at this point. The horrible odor will attract a variety of insects. Internal organs always decompose in a specific order, starting with the intestines and ending with the uterus or prostate. Flesh will be stripped from the skeleton. The smell will then turn to a cheese-like smell because of butyric acid(liquid organic acid also found in rancid butter)
Decay also becomes a strong theme weighing heavily on Hamlet's mind. Whilst talking to Polonius he says, "For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a good kissing carrion (II, II, 182)." Although Polonius' appears not to notice this, we can see the constant references to death being made by Shakespeare’s tools, i.e. the characters. Moreover associated with Shakespeare's use of decay and disease imagery is his use of horror, "Roasted in wrath and fire thus o'ersized with coagulate gore (II, II, 431)," is a perfect example of this.
The article was an enjoyment to read. It provides an insider's view of what goes on in the mortuary, where not many people can access. It deals with a subject which people do not usually seek information on but are nonetheless intrigued by. The style lessens the formality of the subject, which makes it less scary to deal with. The descriptive language is effectively used. The expression of the author's feeling and thoughts encourages empathy from the reader with the author.
The beginning of the story mentions an “...odor of death...” (Allende 232). This smell, along with “...the stench of corpses.” (Allende 234), is something that the reader can bring into the story and imagine theirself. For most readers, this smell is unimaginable and brings the
“In most human society's death is an extremely important cultural and social phenomenon, sometimes more important than birth” (Ohnuki-Tierney, Angrosino, & Daar et al. 1994). In the United States of America, when a body dies it is cherished, mourned over, and given respect by the ones that knew the person. It is sent to the morgue and from there the family decides how the body should be buried or cremated based on...
The 5 stages of death include; anger, depression, bargaining, acceptance, and denial. Someone who would go through these stages would be someone who knows that they are going to die, such as Morrie. The 5 stages of grief are similar to those of death, including; anger, denial, bargaining/yearning, acceptance, and depression. A person who would go through the stages of grief would be someone who is getting over someone's death or who knows someone is going to die, such as
begins to wonder exactly what happens when one is cremated. This mood of awe is
Without advanced medicine, Americans were familiar with death, as the common cold could easily turn fatal. After the death of a loved one, the family members would give the body a bath and store it in the coldest room of the house to prevent immediate decomposing. The body would only stay in the house until people had time to visit and say their goodbyes. The smell was unpleasant, so flowers would be brought in. This initiated the tradition of having flowers at a funeral. After that, the body would be buried next to other deceased family members in a simple, wooden coffin. For those that could afford it, an undertaker was hired to take away the body and hold a formal funeral. The undertaker would store bodies on blocks of
(not compiled yet, paper is due Friday. I want to get the body taken care of, please)
In modern day America, a lot of changes have occurred with a standard funeral. A standard funeral is viewed as a coping mechanism for the living. While coping with death, there are several ways that a body can be disposed .A body can be buried in the earth, buried in the sea, burned (cremation), exposed to air or preserved. After the body is buried, a memorial service is held in honor of the deceased. The manner in which the body is prepared for the funeral and the manner the memorial service is held is determined by the person’s culture and religion.
Roach lists strange but helpful uses of human cadavers that benefit humankind in the long run. In the first chapter, as previously stated, Roach observes a face anatomy and face lift refresher course, in which surgeons use cadaver heads. This is an example of how cadavers are often used to practice different types of surgical operations, even cosmetic surgery (Roach 24). Cadavers also benefit the science of criminal forensics, in which their decay process is studied and used for different components of analyzing a crime, such as time of death. Researches place cadavers in different environments and observe the stages of biological and chemical decay and how different environments affect the decay process (Roach 61). To pinpoint the time of death, researchers analyze the body temperature, smell, the potassium level of the gel inside the eyes, insect infestation, and other entomological factors (Roach 62). Another beneficial use for human cadavers includes impact studies, such as a car crash. For the past sixty years, human cadavers have helped scientists understand and study human tolerance limits for violent injuries a human body can get from car crashes, such as skull slammings and chest skewerings. These studies and experiments allow automobile manufacturers design cars that, in the event of a crash, protect the person as much as possible and keep them safe (Roach 87). This results in safer windshields and steering wheels that aim to protect the chest and brain, the main culprits of car crash fatalities (Roach 89). One of the most extraordinary concept that Roach investigates is the live (beating heart) cadaver. Beating heart cadavers are alive by every means except the brain. The cadaver has perfectly functioning organs and a pulse, but is ultimately brain dead. Doctors utilize the cadaver’s functioning organs, such as the kidneys,
It has been found that the decomposition process is best divided into five stages: fresh stage, bloated stage, decay stage, post-decay stage, and remains. The fresh stage starts the moment the individual died and lasts until bloating can be observed. The bloated stage is usually within two to seven days after death. Putrefaction begins at this stage and the gases produced from bacteria cause...
John L McIntosh. (2003) . Handbook of Death and Dying. Volume 1: The Presence of Death. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Reference.
...ial ceremony. The mortician grooms the deceased’ and tries to make the dead look as living as possible. (http://listverse.com/2007/11/08/the-5-stages-of-embalming/)
... In the next portion of my ten page paper, I will explore the other topics stated in my thesis. My final paper will merely be a continuation of the topics that I have written about in this paper. I will explore and go into depth with the topic of human embalmment and its significance to the work of modern medicine today. I would also like to compare modern day embalment for funerals with embalment rituals used in Ancient Egypt.
When following history, one notices a lot of differences between cultures, one of the biggest being the differences in the procedure followed after the death of an individual. In ancient Egypt, the ability of the deceased to have all the tools they needed to travel successfully to the afterlife was a human rights issue, centering on the equal right everyone shared to do so. The journey to the afterlife was scary to those living, and the Egyptians wanted to be sure they would have what they needed to live comfortably after death. To solve this issue, the Egyptians invented mummification, various funerary rituals, and impressive burial techniques to ensure their loved ones would have everything they could possibly need after their departure.