Death and Dying
Death and Dying, the irreversible cessation of life and the imminent approach of death. Death involves a complete change in the status of a living entity—the loss of its essential characteristics.
PHYSIOLOGY
Death occurs at several levels. Somatic death is the death of the organism as a whole; it usually precedes the death of the individual organs, cells, and parts of cells. Somatic death is marked by cessation of heartbeat, respiration, movement, reflexes, and brain activity. The precise time of somatic death is sometimes difficult to determine, however, because the symptoms of such transient states as coma, faint (see Fainting), and trance closely resemble the signs of death.
After somatic death, several changes occur that are used to determine the time and circumstances of death. Algor mortis, the cooling of the body after death, is primarily influenced by the temperature of the immediate environment. Rigor mortis, the stiffening of the skeletal muscles, begins from five to ten hours after death and disappears after three or four days. Livor mortis, the reddish-blue discoloration that occurs on the underside of the body, results from the settling of the blood. Clotting of the blood begins shortly after death, as does autolysis, the death of the cells. Putrefaction, the decomposition that follows, is caused by the action of enzymes and bacteria.
Organs of the body die at different rates. Although brain cells may survive for no more than 5 minutes after somatic death, those of the heart can survive for about 15 minutes and those of the kidney for about 30 minutes. For this reason, organs can be removed from a recently dead body and transplanted into a living person.
PHYSIOLOGY
Death occurs at several levels. Somatic death is the death of the organism as a whole; it usually precedes the death of the individual organs, cells, and parts of cells. Somatic death is marked by cessation of heartbeat, respiration, movement, reflexes, and brain activity. The precise time of somatic death is sometimes difficult to determine, however, because the symptoms of such transient states as coma, faint (see Fainting), and trance closely resemble the signs of death.
After somatic death, several changes occur that are used to determine the time and circumstances of death. Algor mortis, the cooling of the body after death, is primarily influenced by the temperature of the immediate environment. Rigor mortis, the stiffening of the skeletal muscles, begins from five to ten hours after death and disappears after three or four days. Livor mortis, the reddish-blue discoloration that occurs on the underside of the body, results from the settling of the blood. Clotting of the blood begins shortly after death, as does autolysis, the death of the cells. Putrefaction, the decomposition that follows, is caused by the action of enzymes and bacteria.
Organs of the body die at different rates. Although brain cells may survive for no more than 5 minutes after somatic death, those of the heart can survive for about 15 minutes and those of the kidney for about 30 minutes. For this reason, organs can be removed from a recently dead body and transplanted into a living person.
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