Death begins when the heart stops beating. Deprived of oxygen, a cascade of cellular death commences. It begins with brain cells and finishes with the skin cells. Death is therefore a process, rather than an event.
Some of the changes, which happen within the body:
Further information
- Human decomposition after death
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/ask_doctor/death_body.shtml
by Dr Trisha Macnair, BBC Health
Copyright © Australian Museum 2003
