Livor mortis, also known as postmortem hypostasis or postmortem lividity, is a passive process of blood accumulating within the blood vessels in the dependent parts of the body as a result of gravity, causing a discoloration of the skin that varies from pink to dark purplish.
The early decomposition phase begins with the onset of skin slippage and hair loss. These changes usually begin from the first day after death to up to five days post-mortem.
For approximately the first 3 hours after death the body will be flaccid (soft) and warm. After about 3-8 hours is starts to stiffen, and from approximately 8-36 hours it will be stiff and cold. The body becomes stiff because of a range of chemical changes in the muscle fibres after death.
The processes that occur after death do not stop with pallor mortis, algor mortis, rigor mortis, and livor mortis. Chemical, biochemical, and microbiological changes that break down tissue start as soon as a day to a week after death, but the timeframe is largely dependent on temperature and environment.
There are four general stages of putrefaction: Putrefaction (4-10 days after death) – Autolysis occurs and gases (odor) and discoloration starts. Black putrefaction (10-20 days after death) – exposed skin turns black, bloating collapses and fluids are released from the body.
The eyes become cloudy after death because of the lack of oxygen and circulating blood to them. They are no longer moist, and the cornea becomes opaque. Accumulation of electrolytes like potassium in the vitreous humor may also contribute to clouding and can be used by pathologists to estimate the time of death.
As the blood pools, patches appear on the skin within 30 minutes of death. About two to four hours postmortem, these patches join up, creating large dark purplish areas towards the bottom of the body and lightening the skin elsewhere. This may be less apparent on darker skin. This process is called livor mortis.
Your muscles loosen immediately after death, releasing any strain on your bowel and bladder. As a result, most people poop and pee at death. Your skin may also sag, making it easier to see your bone structure beneath.
Physical signs
Facial muscles may relax and the jaw can drop. Skin can become very pale. Breathing can alternate between loud rasping breaths and quiet breathing. Towards the end, dying people will often only breathe periodically, with an intake of breath followed by no breath for several seconds.
They sleep a lot, their breathing becomes very irregular, and their skin becomes cool to the touch. Those who do not lose consciousness in the days before death usually do so in the hours before. Most people are very calm at this time, although some may be agitated, especially if they are finding it hard to breathe.
As soon as the muscles that control your eye movement relax, the pupils dilate. This happens over a progression of several hours after death. Eventually, the iris, the colored part of the eye, becomes completely unrecognizable because the pupils dilate so much.
But one thing in common is that the legs are neatly covered either with a blanket or half-covered with the lid of a casket. Why do they cover the legs in a casket? When a person dies, the feet swell, making it difficult for the shoes to fit, which is why the legs are covered.
By 50 years in, your tissues will have liquefied and disappeared, leaving behind mummified skin and tendons. Eventually these too will disintegrate, and after 80 years in that coffin, your bones will crack as the soft collagen inside them deteriorates, leaving nothing but the brittle mineral frame behind.
The blood pressure slowly drops and blood flow throughout the body slows, causing one's extremities to begin to feel cold to the touch. Mottled skin before death presents as a red or purple marbled appearance. It is most often first seen in the feet, from where it then travels up the legs.
The brain and nerve cells require a constant supply of oxygen and will die within a few minutes, once you stop breathing. The next to go will be the heart, followed by the liver, then the kidneys and pancreas, which can last for about an hour. Skin, tendons, heart valves and corneas will still be alive after a day.
An accurate time of death also can help rule out possible suspects who may have been somewhere else when the death occurred and a more general time range could create a larger window for someone's alibi. This information can be used in court to establish a case.
The first organ system to “close down” is the digestive system. Digestion is a lot of work! In the last few weeks, there is really no need to process food to build new cells. That energy needs to go elsewhere.
They Know They're Dying
Dying is a natural process that the body has to work at. Just as a woman in labor knows a baby is coming, a dying person may instinctively know death is near. Even if your loved one doesn't discuss their death, they most likely know it is coming.
The immediate aftermath of dying can be surprisingly lively. For the first few minutes of the postmortem period, brain cells may survive. The heart can keep beating without its blood supply. A healthy liver continues breaking down alcohol.
The brain and nerve cells require a constant supply of oxygen and will die within a few minutes, once you stop breathing. The next to go will be the heart, followed by the liver, then the kidneys and pancreas, which can last for about an hour. Skin, tendons, heart valves and corneas will still be alive after a day.
It's through the chest cavity that the doctor removes the tongue and windpipe. After removal, the doctor carefully examines all of the internal organs one at a time. The mortician then carefully cuts the scalp and saws through the skull to examine parts of the brain.
The following hadith outlines three deeds that continue after death: “When a man dies, his good deeds come to an end, except three: Ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, and a righteous child who will pray for him.”
These gases cause the distension of the abdomen, swelling of the face and external genitalia, and purging of putrefactive liquids from the mouth and nostrils referred to as 'postmortem purging.
The practice of forcing eyelids closed immediately after death, sometimes using coins to lock the eyelids closed until rigor mortis intervenes, has been common in many cultures. Open eyes at death may be interpreted as an indication that the deceased is fearful of the future, presumably because of past behaviors.
24-72 hours after death — the internal organs decompose. 3-5 days after death — the body starts to bloat and blood-containing foam leaks from the mouth and nose. 8-10 days after death — the body turns from green to red as the blood decomposes and the organs in the abdomen accumulate gas.