Post-mortem changes


Post-mortem changes refers to changes and decomposition occurring in the human body after death. The post-mortem interval – the time that has elapsed since death – may be estimated, when it is not known, from such changes, using medical and scientific techniques.

Types of change after death

Many types of changes to a body occur after death. Some of those that can be used to determine the interval are:
A person who judges the time of death by the means of decomposition can refer to a simple five-stage process:
More advanced methods include DNA quantification, infrared spectroscopy, and for buried individuals changes in soils such as the levels of methane, phosphates and nitrates, ninhydrin-reactive nitrogen, volatile organic compounds, and water conductivity.