week 6 Flashcards
1
Q
- chemical and physical changes
- vascular circulation stops with death
- shortly after non traumatic death, body temp increases
- increase in body temp -> because of pathological condition
- febrile diseases, viral/bacterial infections, some nervous disorder
A
post mortem caloricity (4)
2
Q
algor mortis (2)
A
- physical changes
2. rate of temp change based on intrinsic and extrinsic factors
3
Q
intrinsic factors of algor mortis (4)
A
- surface area to body mass ratio
- higher surface area to mass ration = body will cool faster - build
- adipose tissue and muscle tissue retain heat - amount of post mortem caloricity
- pathological conditions
- autoimmune diseases, febrile diseases
4
Q
extrinsic factors of algor mortis (5)
A
- environment (temp)
- coverings on the body (clothes, sheets, etc)
- pathological conditions (infections)
- pharmaceuticals
- controlled substances (illegal drugs, alcohol)
5
Q
rigor mortis (4) characteristics
A
- chemical change
- happens within few hours of death, last for up to 3 days
- duration is dependent on multiple variables
- helps us determine time between death and embalming
6
Q
process of sliding filament model (9)
A
- while muscle is at rest, actin and myosin dont touch
- actin is “blocked off” by tropomyosin and troponin
- our brain send a signal or action potential for our muscle to move causing calcium to be released
- tropomyosin binds with calcium is pulled away from the actin strand
- myosin binds to an AT Molecule which changes the ATP -> ADP
- myosin then binds with actin
- sarcomere, shrinks, muscle contracts
- ADP unbinds, ATP rebinds with myosin to release actin
- muscles relaxes and process can restart
7
Q
rigor mortis process (4)
A
- muscle movement is a process that occurs at the cellular level
- involves three key players; actin, myosin and ATP
- rigor remains until proteins are broken down or until the cross link bridges are broken down via the embalmer massaging the tissue
- more muscle tissue = more rigor
8
Q
livor mortis characteristics (3)
A
- physical change
- intravascular purple/red discoloration
- can help determine amount of time between death and embalming
9
Q
post mortem stain characteristics (3)
A
- chemical change
- heme is released because of hemolysis
- usually present in dependent tissues
10
Q
post mortem stain sequence (5)
A
- hypostasis
- livor mortis
- hydrolysis
- hemolysis
5 post mortem stain
11
Q
pH shift (-> acidic) (2)
A
- metabolism continues after death
2. production of metabolites with no way to eliminate them creates an acidic environment
12
Q
pH shift (->) basic (4)
A
- proteins break down releasing nitrogen into the body
- not uniform throughout the body
- may have “microenvironment” with different pH levels throughout the body
- temperature can also have an affect on pH levels
13
Q
decomposition characteristics (2)
A
- chemical change
2. body decomposition as a result of hydrolysis, autolysis, and microbial influence
14
Q
signs of decomposition (9)
A
- discoloration
- odor
- desquamation
- anasarca
- swelling
- purge
- vascular breakdown
- adipocere
- skeletonization
15
Q
entropy characteristics (6)
A
- life is the act of cheating entropy
- cells of the body are not dead after brain death occurs; muscle and organ cells live for several hours, skin and bone cells stay alive for days
- lactic avid in the muscles is not cleared by circulation and becomes metabolic waste
- protein breakdown causes nitrogenous waste
- atp is no longer synthesized, muscles “lock” then “unlocked” when actin and myosin decompose
- bacterial infestation begins and spreads