What are the five stages of Human decomposition?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Stage 1: The Fresh Stage
The fresh stage of decomposition occurs during the first few days after the death. There are no physical signs of decomposition during this time. However, homeostasis of the body has ceased, allowing cellular and soft tissue changes to occur because of the process of autolysis, the destruction of cells and organs due to an aseptic chemical process.
Stage 2: The Putrefaction Stage
Odor, color changes, and bloating of the body during decomposition are the results of putrefaction. The lower part of the abdomen turns green due to bacteria activity in the cecum. Bacteria break down hemoglobin into sulfhemoglobin, which causes the green color change. A formation of gases enters the abdomen, which forces liquids and feces out of the body. The gases also enter the neck and face, causing swelling of the mouth, lips, and tongue. Due to this swelling and misconfiguration of the face, identification of the body can be difficult.
Bacteria also enter the venous system, causing blood to hemolyze. This leads to the formation of red streaks along the
veins. This color soon changes to green through a process known as marbelization.
Stage 3: The Black Putrefaction Stage

After the body goes through the bloating stage, it begins the black putrefaction stage. At this point, the body cavity ruptures, the abdominal gases escape, and the body darkens from its greenish color. These activities allow for a greater invasion of scavengers, and insect activity increases greatly. This stage ends as the bones become apparent, which can take anywhere from 10 to 20 days after death depending on the region and temperature. This period is also dependent on the degree to which the body is exposed.
Stage 4 The Butryic Fermentation Stage
After the early putrefaction and black putrefaction phases have taken place, the body begins mummification, in which the body begins to dry out. The human carcass is first mummified and then goes through adipocere formation. Adipocere (grave wax) formation is the loss of body odor and the formation of a cheesy appearance on the cadaver.
Stage 5: The Dry Decay Stage

When the last of the soft tissue has been removed from the body, the final stage of decomposition, skeletonization, occurs. This stage encompasses the deterioration of skeletal remains and is the longest of the decomposition processes.
The strength and durability of bone stems from the unique protein–mineral bond present in skeletal formations. Consequently, changes to skeletal remains, known as bone diagenesis, occur at a substantially slower rate than stages of soft tissue breakdown.