What Happens To Your Body 100 Years After Death

Your body is a complex composition, comprising over 200 bones, trillions of microbes, and as many as 37 trillion cells. While death is often perceived as the end of an individual's existence, the body still undergoes a significant journey after the cessation of life. Shortly after death, the brain is one of the first components to deteriorate. When the heart stops beating, blood flow ceases, preventing the delivery of oxygen to organs and tissues. Consequently, the most active and oxygen-dependent parts of the body start to degrade. This process leads to the release of fluids, given that these organs and tissues consist of about 70% water. Without oxygen, cells undergo self-destruction, causing fluids to seep onto the surface.

Around the same time, typically within the first night after death, a troubling process takes place in the digestive system. The weakening immune system can no longer control the trillions of microbes that aid in digestion. These microbes begin to escape from the lower intestines, traversing through veins, tissues, and arteries. Within hours, they reach the liver and gallbladder, where they consume these organs and release bile into the body, leading to a yellow-green staining effect. Over the course of a few days, these microbes produce noxious gases such as ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, causing the body to bloat and emit a strong odor.

After several months, the once yellow-green hue changes to brownish-black due to the deterioration of blood vessels, causing iron to leak and oxidize. During this time, the structural integrity of cells breaks down, resulting in the collapse of tissues into a watery substance. Within about a year, your clothing begins to break down due to exposure to acidic body fluids and toxins, with nylon seams and waistbands being among the few survivors.

Subsequent decades see the body enter various stages of decomposition. Over time, a moist, low-oxygen environment triggers a chemical reaction that transforms fat in certain areas like the thighs and buttocks into a soap-like substance known as grave wax. On the other hand, drier conditions can lead to mummification, causing the skin on your ears, nose, and eyelids to dry out and turn black.

By the 50-year mark, tissues have dissolved, leaving mummified skin and tendons. These too eventually disintegrate, and after roughly 80 years, the bones will crack as the collagen within them deteriorates. This leaves behind the brittle mineral structure of the bones. However, even bones do not remain intact indefinitely. After a century inside a coffin, bones will have broken down into dust, leaving only the most enduring components – teeth – along with any surviving nylon threads from clothing.

Let's delve further into the intricate process of postmortem decomposition, tracing the remarkable journey of the human body as it transforms over the years after death.

As the timeline progresses, reaching around a decade postmortem, the environment within the coffin continues to shape the body's fate. Depending on the level of moisture, a significant change occurs. In wet, low-oxygen conditions, a chemical reaction takes place that turns the fat within certain body parts, such as the thighs and buttocks, into a peculiar soap-like substance known as adipocere or grave wax. This unique transformation preserves these areas of the body, acting as a natural form of preservation.

On the other hand, under drier conditions, an equally fascinating process unfolds: mummification. Unlike the traditional image of mummies wrapped in bandages, natural mummification occurs without any human intervention. Throughout the phases of decomposition, water vaporizes through the thin skin on specific parts of the body, such as the ears, nose, and eyelids. This process causes these areas to dry out and darken, resulting in a mummified appearance.

As time marches on, approximately half a century after death, the remnants of the body continue their transformation. The tissues that once held the body together have liquefied and disappeared, leaving behind a residue of mummified skin and tendons. Although these structures are more durable compared to other components, they too will eventually disintegrate, marking the gradual decline of the body's physical presence.

Advancing into the next decades, approximately 80 years postmortem, the bones begin to experience the effects of degradation. The soft collagen within the bones deteriorates, causing them to become increasingly brittle. This brittleness eventually leads to the cracking of the bones, resulting in the collapse of their internal structure.

Interestingly, the only remaining components at this stage are the teeth, often praised for their resilience. Teeth, composed of some of the most durable substances in the body, tend to withstand the passage of time more effectively than other structures. They can persist for extended periods, offering a glimpse into the past and the unique history of the individual.

However, even the formidable teeth will not evade the relentless march of time indefinitely. As the centuries go by, the last vestiges of the teeth will also succumb to the inexorable forces of decay, ultimately resulting in their disintegration.

In summary, the human body embarks on a fascinating journey after death, navigating a series of intricate processes that gradually transform its components. From the initial deterioration of organs and tissues due to the cessation of blood flow and oxygen supply to the formation of grave wax and mummification, the body's postmortem evolution is a testament to the intricate interplay between various biological, chemical, and environmental factors. Ultimately, whether through decay, mummification, or other natural processes, the human body gradually returns to the elements from which it arose, leaving behind a rich history etched in its remnants.