A chilling simulation provides insight into the transformation of a human body post-mortem.
For those curious about how a flesh-and-blood body transitions to skeletal remains, YouTuber @Zackdfilms offers a detailed look at this unsettling process.
The YouTuber notes that decomposition begins almost immediately after death, as blood settles in lower parts of the body within the first 24 hours.
In Zack’s visual example, which depicts a body lying on its back in a coffin, the simulation illustrates ‘purple and red patches’ appearing on the skin where blood has pooled, particularly on the back of the head against the casket.
Next, ‘bacteria and enzymes’ begin breaking down the internal organs, as shown in the simulation focused on the abdomen area.
This process generates gas, causing the body to bloat.
Within weeks, the body’s internal components follow this path of decay, and the fate of the eyes is particularly striking.
The simulation reveals: “After a few weeks, all of the organs and soft tissue, including your eyes, liquify and your skin starts to fall off.”
The unnerving depiction shows the eyes turning to ‘liquid’ and vanishing.
Despite these rapid changes, complete decomposition can span years, with only bones remaining.
“Over the course of several years, your remaining tissue continues to decay,” it continued. “And eventually, all that’s left is a skeleton.”
Daniel Wescott from the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State University shared with Live Science that a body in a coffin breaks down within a year, but complete decomposition can take up to ten years.
Insects and environmental factors significantly affect decomposition, as Nicholas Passalacqua from the Forensic Osteology Research Station at Western Carolina University noted that a body buried directly in the soil can become skeletal within five years.
The decomposition process is straightforward, beginning as soon as blood circulation ceases, with organs affected by the lack of oxygen.
Within 18 hours, the body may turn green due to this oxygen deprivation, and rapid bacterial activity in the abdomen causes bloating and odor.
Following this, green-black veins may appear beneath the skin within 24 to 48 hours.
Warmer conditions can speed up decomposition, which is why bodies are often refrigerated until burial.
After the bloating phase, organs and tissues soften, allowing insects and microbes to feed on the remains, ultimately leaving just a skeleton.