What are Postmortem Physical Changes?

The concept of postmortem physical changes refers specifically to alterations that occur in the physical state of the body after death without changing the chemical composition. This includes changes in size, shape, firmness, and texture of the body's tissues. These modifications can be observed and measured and relate primarily to the physical properties of the body rather than its chemical makeup.

For instance, after death, the body undergoes changes such as rigor mortis, liver mortis, and algor mortis, all of which are primarily physical transformations. These changes occur due to various processes like temperature decrease and muscle stiffening, yet the actual chemicals present in the body at the time of death remain unchanged until decomposition processes begin.

In contrast, other choices address aspects that either imply a change in the chemical composition, such as the breakdown of tissues leading to decomposition, or focus solely on the decomposition process rather than the physical alterations prior to that. Understanding postmortem physical changes is essential in fields like forensic science, where determining the time of death and other critical factors relies on observing these transformations.