A2

Topic 6
Lesson 2
The process of decay
Forensic experts use the state of decay in a body to help
estimate the time of death.
As cells die , and gut movement stops , the catabolic
enzymes of the digestive system start breaking down the
walls of the gut and the surrounding cells.
Also as cells die from the lack of oxygen , lysosomes
within the rupture and release enzymes which break
down the cells.
These processes make the body a suitable habitat for the
organisms responsible for further decay.
The stages of succession
A newly dead body is like a fresh exposed soil or rock. It is
a freshly available habitat. The principles of succession
are applied to the succession of species on a human
body after death.
The first stage of succession on a body involves the
colonisers
The colonisers
1. The first colonisers are : Anaerobic bacteria which
do not need oxygen, thrive in the presence of lactic
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acid in the muscles after death. In life, these bacteria

are confined to certain areas of the body as the gut
and breed freely. As enzymes break down cells ,
bacteria spread.
2. The second colonisers: Quickly bacteria is joined by
several species of flies blowflies . These insects
are extremely sensitive to the smell of dead
organisms and can arrive on a body in minutes of
death. They are attracted to moisture and smell
around the natural orifices of the body as well as
open wounds. The first site to lay eggs , is the first
site of attraction. The maggots hatch and
immediately start feeding on the tissues breaking
them down. They burrow deeper into the flesh . the
maggots pupate turn into flies and immediately mate
to start the cycle again.as the soft tissue of the body
liquefy , adult flies can feed on this too.
3. The third colonisers : beetles start to lay eggs on
the carcass , their larvae feed on maggots rather
than eat the body itself
4. The fourth colonisers : wasps arrive to lay their eggs
in the fly and beetle larvae , as the body is digested ,
it also dries out , so become not suitable for the early
colonisers.
5. Different species such as the coffin flies and the
cheese flies move in .
6. As the body is too dry for maggots , a number of
beetle species with strong chewing mouth parts
move in , including carcass beetles , ham beetles ,
and hide beetles which feed on the remains of
muscles and connective tissues.
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7. At the very end ,mites and moth larvae will feed on

the hair until only dry bones are left.
The stages of decay follow a regular pattern , but the
speed at which they occur is variable, it depends on
a number of factors :
a. Temperature : the warmer the body the faster the
rate of decay. All the chemical reactions are
speeded up in warmth
Ex : in Zimbabwe
an elephant can be reduced to
skeleton in just 7 days , on the other hand , a body
kept in a freezer , will decay very slowly.
b. The level of exposure of the body : a buried body
will decay more slowly than a body left in the open
air as it is more available to flies and other
decomposers. Also the temperature is lower and
more stable. A body hidden in a house is less
exposed to insects but warmer than a body outside
, while a body in a bin bag outside will decay more
slowly than a body exposed to air.
Forensic entomology
The study of insects life as Many of the organisms
that colonises a body after death are insects
Studying the life cycles of these organisms will
relates to crimes.
27 September 1935 , is the first time to use insect
evidence ina murder in UK.

The case was : the dismembered remains of Mrs

Buck Ruxton and her maid were found in a ravine on
a Scottish mountain.
Many of the body parts were found to be infested
with maggots. The forensic team estimated the age
of the maggots and showed that the remains had
been in the ravine 12 to 14 days earlier. All the rest
of the evidence pointed to Dr Buck Ruxton and were
supported by the insect evidence .
Forensic entomologists know how the life cycles of
bow flies and other insects that colonise in dead
bodies , vary with different environmental conditions
such as temperature.
They use this evidence to know how long a body had
been in the place it is found (blowflies find a body
within minutes of death)
When a body is discovered , eggs , maggots and
pupa are collected. When live specimens can be
saved , the forensic entomologists can grow them to
adults so a precise identification of the species of the
flies or beetles can be made.
This makes calculation of death more accurate because
each species has a different length life cycle.
Ex : the case was.A couple was found dead in their
home in south wales . They had both been shot . The
body of the woman was found in bed , was more

decomposed and the maggots were more advanced than

the body of the man found in the kitchen ????
Police gathered evidence from reported phone calls and
sightings that the woman was alive until the Saturday
evening. Evidence from the forensic entomologist was
considered. The minimum age of the oldest maggots
taken from the woman was 4 days. This puts the death
at least one day earlier than the circumstantial evidence.
When the witness evidence was checked again , it was
discovered that there were mistakes. There was a suspect
but he had an alibi for the Saturday night , now the
maggots do not lie and the prime suspect had no alibi for
that night .when faced with the evidence , he confessed.
But why was one body more decomposed with bigger and
stronger maggots than the other ?
The woman had gone to bed
with an electric blanket that kept her body warm and
speeded up the chemical reactions of both decay and the
development of the maggots.

Blowflies

Cheese flies

maggots

coffin flies

Corpse beetle

At the university of Knoxville in USA forensic

research teams have bee observing for a long time in
detail what happens when a human body decays in a
whole range of different conditions. The bodies they used
were donated by individuals who want to help in scientific
knowledge in this area.in a site known as the body farm
, known by the local police , 30 corps are under
observation at any one time. Some are buried , some are
not , some are stuffed in dustbin bag , some are in damp
conditions , some are wrapped in carpets , some in the
freezer ,others are in experimental conditions equivalent
to centrally heated homes and some fully in the sun.

They are also analyzing the fluids and the gases

produced by decomposing bodies to try to develop
advanced systems for detecting bodies which had hidden
after murder.
Similar works in other countries as Canada , in 1990 , the
big project looking at the insect succession in buried
carcasses. The Canadian study used pigs instead of
human bodies , even dressing them up in human clothes ,
before burying in shallow graves often used by murderers
to hide their victims.
Using pigs removed many of the ethical and practical
problems.
Questions
1. Describe and explain the main stages of
decomposition of a mammalian body and the
organisms you would expect to be involved
2. The condition in which a body is kept after death
have a major effect on the speed at which
decomposition occurs . select two factors and explain
how they affect decomposition rates.
3. How is the process of succession helpful to forensic
scientists in determining the time of death.
4. What are the problems and advantages of using
humanbodies in forensic research.

End of lesson
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Study well and good

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