To answer the question why the body lying in the closed concrete block does not decompose strongly? First of all, it is necessary to understand the process of decomposition of the human body. According to The Guardian, the human body after death is the foundation of an extremely complex ecosystem.
The human decomposition process begins to take place only a few minutes after death and the heart stops beating, at this time the cells in the body will be deprived of oxygen and the acid concentration in the body also suddenly increases, the Toxins that have been accumulated in the body for a long time will be released and cause chemical reactions.
The meager amount of oxygen left in the body is quickly depleted due to cellular metabolism and the activity of aerobic microorganisms present in the respiratory organs and stomach, creating a favorable environment for anaerobic microorganisms. gas proliferates.
They consume the body’s carbohydrates, fats, and proteins and produce a variety of compounds such as propionic acid, lactic acid, methane, hydrogen sulfide, and ammonia.
Enzymes left in the body as well as produced by chemical reactions in the body will begin to digest the cell membranes, then leak out as the cells break down.
This process usually begins in places where cells have a high water content, such as the liver or brain, and then all other tissues and organs break down as well.
Damaged blood cells spill out of broken vessels and aided by gravity, depositing in small capillaries and veins, discoloring the skin.
In the early stages of decomposition, the cadaver ecosystem contains microbes that live in and on the human body. Most internal organs are free of bacteria while we are alive.
When the immune system shuts down, bacteria spread throughout the body freely.
The gut is the largest reservoir, where the number of bacteria reaches billions of individuals with thousands of different species. The bacteria from here enter the capillaries of the digestive system and lymph nodes, spread to the liver and spleen, and into the heart and brain.
The process of microbial proliferation in the body, known as putrefaction , entails the start of the second stage of decomposition, which is swelling .
The next stage is active decay, this is the stage where the largest amount of corpses is lost. The loss of carcass mass is due to maggot activity and decaying fluids spilling into the surrounding environment.
The tissues continued to liquefy and the stench continued to come out.
The fluids gather around the corpse and form an area called the “cadaver decomposition island” (CDI).
Gradually, the microbial mass in the area of decomposition of corpses became larger, the plant life more diverse.
The decomposing body changes the ecology of the surrounding environment. This feature helps scientists or investigators find bodies that have been buried in shallow graves.
However, estimating the time of death can be extremely difficult because the stages of decomposition often overlap, and the rates also vary, depending on temperature and environment.
In the early stages of decomposition, the body needs a lot of bacteria to assist in the decomposition process, including aerobic bacteria and anaerobic bacteria .
If the corpse is wrapped in a large cement concrete block, then the body will decompose much more slowly than usual because the aerobic bacteria will become almost useless due to lack of oxygen.
Therefore, only anaerobic bacteria can work and the fact that the human body after death is buried in the concrete block also creates a shell separating the corpse from the outside environment, animals and animals. Parasitic plants that support the decomposition process are also unable to access and grow.
Therefore, it can be said that the bodies are almost in the process of being mummified at this time, but they cannot be preserved for as long as the Egyptian mummies that we often see.