Science, Bitches | Issue 20

Science, Bitches | Issue 20

What happens to the body after death?

Many will argue that after you die, your soul will leave your body and rise to some sort of heaven… Perhaps, but what does happen, scientifically at least, is that you will rot down into your simplest form and most likely become some worms breakfast, lunch and if you’re over six foot perhaps dinner. 

I won't lie to you, the following is pretty grim. If death isn’t your cup of tea then I’d recommend not reading any further. 

After you die, for whatever reason that may be, your body will immediately start to turn cold. The process is known as algor mortis or the death chill and each hour will see the body chill by around 0.83 degrees until it reaches room temperature. 

Without the heart pumping the blood throughout the body it starts to pool and settle. This is known as rigor mortis and results in a stiffening of the body. This usually happens two to six hours after death. 

Although you may sadly be dead, and hopefully someone, somewhere is mourning your departure from this world, small things inside your body will still be alive (such as skin cells). These live bacteria will then start to break down and decompose the body, mostly those little organisms inside the intestine. As these organisms then make their way to other organs, the body will then discolour, turning green, then purple and then black, also creating a horrid gas. This horrid gas will also cause the body to bloat, push the eyes out of their sockets and make the tongue swell. After a while the internal organs and tissues will start to liquify and the body will become so bloated that eventually it will burst, leaving the skeleton. 

Unless mummified or preserved this will be your final act on Earth. However, cremation may change your outcomes...

This article first appeared in Issue 20, 2016.
Posted 1:17pm Sunday 21st August 2016 by Steve-o Hawkins.