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Source: U.S. Department of Energy
Wikipedia: Decomposition is a phenomenon common in the sciences of biology and chemistry. In biology, decomposition refers to the reduction of the body of a formerly living organism into simpler forms of matter. In chemistry it refers to the breaking down of a large molecule into smaller molecules or atoms and is referred to as chemical decomposition.
The body of a living organism begins to decompose shortly after death. Such decomposition can be simplified in two stages: In the first stage, it is limited to the production of vapors. In the second stage, fluidic materials form and the flesh or plant matter begins to decompose. The science which studies such decomposition generally is called taphonomy.
Historically, the progression of decomposition of a living organism has been described as taking place in four stages: fresh (autolysis), bloat (putrefaction), decay (putrefaction and carnivores) and dry (diagenesis).
Source: wikipedia
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