What “Farming” Looks Like at a Body Farm
Body farms help forensic taphonomists study the stages of human decomposition.
When you die, your body’s microbiome - which is the colony of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microorganisms living inside you - collapses. Your body then undergoes five stages of decomposition before turning into a skeleton: from freshly dead to bloat, active decay, advanced decay and in the end dry or remains.
This process begins at the moment of death and is caused by two stages of chemical decomposition: autolysis and putrefaction. Autolysis means the breakdown of tissue by the body’s internal chemicals and enzymes. Putrefaction means the breakdown of tissues by bacteria.
These processes mark the shift from aerobic to anaerobic bacteria, and a new microbial system takes over the dead organism: the necrobiome. As these microorganisms decompose the body, compounds such as cadaverine and putrescine are released; they are the cause of the bad odor accompanying decaying human tissues.
A body that is exposed to the open elements — that is, water, air, temperature, humidity — decomposes faster than one that is buried in a coffin or directly under soil.
All good until now, except that the microorganisms that form the necrobiome don’t grow well…
