What does livor mortis refer to?

Livor mortis refers specifically to the postmortem condition where blood settles in the lower parts of the body due to gravity, leading to a reddish-purple discoloration of the skin. This occurs because, after circulation has ceased, blood is no longer pumped throughout the body and begins to pool in areas where the body is resting. The presence of this discoloration can provide important information regarding the position of the body after death and the time elapsed since death.

The other choices describe different phenomena associated with death. For instance, body heat distribution postmortem relates to algor mortis, while the rigidity of muscles is known as rigor mortis. The fourth choice addresses a different discoloration due to bile, which is not relevant to livor mortis. Thus, the notion of blood pooling and the resultant skin discoloration uniquely identifies livor mortis and makes it the correct response.