Which term refers to the cooling of the body until it matches the ambient temperature?

Which term refers to the cooling of the body until it matches the ambient temperature?

• A. Rigor mortis
• B. Algor mortis
• C. Putrefaction
• D. Abandonment

Answer: (B)

After death, the body cools down as it comes to the surrounding temperature. This cooling is called algor mortis. The temperature drop happens gradually until the body is in thermal equilibrium with the ambient environment, and how fast it happens depends on factors like the room temperature, airflow, clothing or insulating layers, and the body's size and composition. This is different from other postmortem changes: rigor mortis is the stiffening of muscles that follows death, and putrefaction is the breakdown of tissues by bacteria. Abandonment isn’t a term used to describe postmortem physical changes.

After death, the body cools down as it comes to the surrounding temperature. This cooling is called algor mortis. The temperature drop happens gradually until the body is in thermal equilibrium with the ambient environment, and how fast it happens depends on factors like the room temperature, airflow, clothing or insulating layers, and the body's size and composition. This is different from other postmortem changes: rigor mortis is the stiffening of muscles that follows death, and putrefaction is the breakdown of tissues by bacteria. Abandonment isn’t a term used to describe postmortem physical changes.