Some parts of you will live longer
While some body parts expire quickly, others may live on for hours after you die. Your eyes, heart, bone and skin can still be viable for transplant up to 15 hours after you pass away, according to Dr Melinek.
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Your body will literally start eating itself
As your cells begin to break down, they are digested by enzymes and bacteria in your body – a process that can kick in quickly, depending on what caused your death. “When you die of sepsis – overwhelming bacterial infection of all your body’s systems – putrefaction is very fast because the bacteria that break down your tissues after death have already spread to every corner of your body,” Dr Melinek says. “People who overdose on certain drugs that elevate body temperature – like methamphetamine, ecstasy, or cocaine – may also show accelerated decomposition changes.”
You might turn into soap
Strange, but true: “Bodies left in a cool, damp environment often decompose in a chemical process called adipocere that turns the fat into soap,” Dr Melinek says. “Instead of rotting away to skeletons, they are structurally well-preserved in a blobby pale yellowish or grey sort of way commonly referred to as ‘grave wax.’”
