ABSTRACT

Initially, these changes can only be detected biochemically as the metabolism in the cells alters to autolytic pathways. Eventually the changes become visible and these visible changes are important for two reasons: first, because a doctor needs to know the normal progress of decomposition so that he does not misinterpret these normal changes for signs of an unnatural death and, second, because they may be used in estimating how long the individual has been dead (i.e. the post-mortem interval, or PMI).