Rigor mortis, also known as postmortem rigidity, is the stiffness of the body's muscles and joints following a person's death, which usually lasts one to four days. It is the third stage of death and a visible sign of death caused by chemical changes in the muscles that cause the limb muscles to stiffen. Rigor mortis is one of the most visible taphonomic changes, causing rigidity in muscle structure. The occurrence and physiology of rigor mortis are critical to comprehending the condition. We will learn about rigor mortis in this article, including what it is, the causes of rigor mortis, the stages of rigor mortis, and the occurrence of rigor mortis.
Rigor Mortis Causes
The following are the causes of rigor mortis in detail:
1. Chemical transformations
Rigor mortis is caused by chemical changes in the muscles that occur after death. When a person dies, his or her body no longer receives oxygen. As a result, no chemical reactions or trades take place. The muscles are unable to produce ATP. The actin and myosin filaments remain tense, and the muscles remain contracted.
2. Temperature
Chemical changes will occur faster in the body of a person who died in a hotter atmosphere than in a colder atmosphere. The bodies that have been submerged in freezing water for a few days do not go through the stages of rigor mortis. It starts as soon as the body starts to defrost.
Rigor Mortis Occurrence
1. The conversion of ATP to ADP is central to the sliding fiber hypothesis in muscle strands.
2. There is a sensational reduction in the pH level of the cells after death, due to the absence of respiratory action in the corpse, due to the amalgamation of pyruvic and lactic corrosive.
3. The glycolysis of glycogen in muscles without oxygen causes glycogen exhaustion, resulting in lower ATP concentrations, which would be used to isolate the cross-connecting of filaments in some way. As a result, the associated rigidity would be switched.
4. This rigidity is first noticed in smaller muscle groups that stretch out over a period of 4 hours, eventually progressing to larger muscle groups within 12 hours after death, causing the body to stiffen.
5. It is based on lower levels of ATP at the time of death.
6. Rigor Mortis finds applications in the reconstruction of the postmortem time frame by maintaining the specific position of the body and demonstrating any attempts to move the corpse that is dependent on – rigidity of the body at the time of its revelation and the time factor.
7. After 36-40 hours from the time of death, the body transforms into a floppy state.
8. During death, essential flabbiness occurs, causing the muscles of the jaws, eyelids, and neck to stiffen.
Rigor Mortis Stages
Autolysis, bloat, active decay, and skeletonization are the four major stages of rigor mortis. All of these stages of rigor mortis are explained in detail:
1. Autolysis (Stage I)
This stage is also known as self-digestion, and it begins after death. Shortly after death, blood circulation and respiratory exercises cease. The body is unable to obtain oxygen or expel metabolic waste. As a result of the acidic environment in the body, the cells burst. On the skin and inside the organs, small rankles appear. The skin's top layer begins to relax. The cells are eaten by enzymes produced by the membranes.
2. Bloat (Stage II)
Several gases are produced by the enzymes delivered by the membranes. Because of the sulfur-containing mixtures released by the bacteria, the skin's color blurs. Putrefaction is the process by which microorganisms deliver foul odors.
3. Active Decay (Stage III)
At this point, all of the body parts have liquified. All of the body's delicate tissues deteriorate. The decayed hair, bones, and cartilages are still visible.
4. Skeletonization (Stage IV)
When it comes to skeletonization, there is no set time limit. This is because the rate of decomposition is based on the loss of both organic and inorganic components.