Putrefaction and Autolysis, sigh, just those two words send my nose all tingly and a smile across my face. Things that happen to the body after death has been the theme in my forensic anthropology class for some time now and a few days ago my teacher got down to the actual decomposition of the materials. Yay!
Autolysis, not to be confused with autothysis, is the natural breakdown of the cells in our body. When we stop breathing, essentially living, we stop being able to produce lots and lots of ATP (energy) with that oxygen. But our body, though dead, continues to produce the ATP, and by doing so ends up producing lots and lots of lactic acid. Those of you who remember glycolysis and the kreb cycle should know this. If you don’t or never knew it, lactic acid is what causes your muscles to burn when you exercise hard, this is because you are exercising so fast that the oxygen you take in can’t be used for ATP fast enough and so lactic acid is built up.
This build of lactic acid degrades the cell and actually degrades the cell to cell connections. If you were alive you would heal this before it got this far. Organs sort of liquefy, and coagulate into a thick sticky, kinda mushy chunky fluid. The brain actually liquefies to a grey soup. The skin stays intact mostly for a while and we become a bag of smelly fluid. When the cells degrade, sulfur containing amino acids methionine and homocysteine and possibly others, degrade into hydrogen sulfide which reacts with iron from the blood to create black ferrous sulfide. Blood vessels close to the surface are visible as black lines. This gives off a marbling effect. We become a marble smelly bag of fluid!
Secondly Putrefaction, it’s the better known aspect of decomposition, or at least more often mentioned. All over and all inside our bodies are bacteria. The human body actually contains more bacterial cells then human cells a lot of them are even necessary to human survival. These live primarily in our intestines. While our body is alive it keeps all of these bacteria at bay. The moment we stop living and fighting them, they eat us alive. One of the products of the bacteria eating us is methane gas. It accumulates in the body hugely bloating the body including swelling the tongue out of the mouth as the gas tries to find a way to escape. The swelling continues until the maggot mass (another lovely aspect of dying) eats through the abdominal wall releasing the gasses.
I don’t know why I felt the urge to blog this. I know I find it interesting and I will forever and ever, but many of you readers will probably be disgusted. Because this will happen to all of you unless you take precautions. I urge you, find a vampire, make friends, convince them to turn you into one of their kind. That or go the Egyptian route and mummify that body. Or cremation. Okay there are lots of routes. I prefer the vampire one but I’m not going to force my opinion on you.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Jasmine: Self Destructive Behavior
I haven’t blogged in 57 days, Abe hasn’t blogged in 64 days, Sarah hasn’t blogged in 54 days Doug hasn’t blogged in 42 days, and Meghan is winning with a grand total of 22 days since her last blog
But I don’t blame any of you, I actually can’t without casting heaps of blame onto myself which I am incapable of doing so I will wait until after this has posted and then point and glare from my high ground where the grass is green and the fruits are sweet.
Mostly I don’t blame you because I’ve been incredibly busy, and everyone I talk to also seems to be busy. This week in particular is going to be a kind of hell, but I figured if I had time to watch vlog brothers I have time to write a blog, so I’m trying.
I have an essay due this Thursday, I had to research a topic in deviance and I chose suicide in the elderly. My mind likes to wander and make interesting associations where it will, and this combined with a vlogbrothers video on power moves of the animal kingdom led me to do some random interesting research on some of the destructive behaviors the vlog brothers described as power moves
Autothysis
It’s a process where an animal suicides by exploding some part of itself! When carpenter ants battle and it seems like they’re not going to win, they contract muscles in their abdomens exploding two mandibular glands along the sides of their bodies which sprays a glue like poison in all directions. This both immobilizes their prey and kills them. Several species of termites are also capable of this minus the poison glue. They explode their bodies in tunnels to block entrances and protect a colony from invasion.
Trichobatrachus robustus
Common name the hairy frog, also known as WOLVERINE FROG! There is a bone in its foot that acts like a cat’s claws minus the keratin, and retractability and they have to break their own bones in order to push it through the skin! When threatened they indeed break bones in their back feet and claws extend.
The frog led me to another amphibian
The Spanish ribbed newt when attacked with rotate its ribcage forward and contract is body forcing the sharp spiny ends of the ribs through its skin (there are no ready made holes it cuts its skin) and into its attacker.
I thought these self destructive behaviors were pretty cool and I shared them with you. Credit where credit is due, the vlogbrothers got me started on this with a video and mentioned the carpenter ants and the hairy frog
But I don’t blame any of you, I actually can’t without casting heaps of blame onto myself which I am incapable of doing so I will wait until after this has posted and then point and glare from my high ground where the grass is green and the fruits are sweet.
Mostly I don’t blame you because I’ve been incredibly busy, and everyone I talk to also seems to be busy. This week in particular is going to be a kind of hell, but I figured if I had time to watch vlog brothers I have time to write a blog, so I’m trying.
I have an essay due this Thursday, I had to research a topic in deviance and I chose suicide in the elderly. My mind likes to wander and make interesting associations where it will, and this combined with a vlogbrothers video on power moves of the animal kingdom led me to do some random interesting research on some of the destructive behaviors the vlog brothers described as power moves
Autothysis
It’s a process where an animal suicides by exploding some part of itself! When carpenter ants battle and it seems like they’re not going to win, they contract muscles in their abdomens exploding two mandibular glands along the sides of their bodies which sprays a glue like poison in all directions. This both immobilizes their prey and kills them. Several species of termites are also capable of this minus the poison glue. They explode their bodies in tunnels to block entrances and protect a colony from invasion.
Trichobatrachus robustus
Common name the hairy frog, also known as WOLVERINE FROG! There is a bone in its foot that acts like a cat’s claws minus the keratin, and retractability and they have to break their own bones in order to push it through the skin! When threatened they indeed break bones in their back feet and claws extend.
The frog led me to another amphibian
The Spanish ribbed newt when attacked with rotate its ribcage forward and contract is body forcing the sharp spiny ends of the ribs through its skin (there are no ready made holes it cuts its skin) and into its attacker.
I thought these self destructive behaviors were pretty cool and I shared them with you. Credit where credit is due, the vlogbrothers got me started on this with a video and mentioned the carpenter ants and the hairy frog
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Meghan: Microsoft
Send this information to help Microsoft improve proofing tools.
The information listed below is from your use of the spelling checker, grammer checker, thesaurus, and hyphenation tool. If this information is sent to Microsoft it will be used only to improve our software and services.
Review the list below, you can delete any lines you do not wish to send.
Or something
His parents' basement).
Maybe.
"Mrrrr
mrrr
The cat cried sadly, wavint it's paws.
"Uhhhgghhhrrhh
(translation: "WTF?!
(translation: "WTF?!
hellspawn
HOW DARE YOU TRESPASS ON OUR LANDS!?!"
(translation: "We value our cats.
(translation: "We value our cats.
(translation: "I come for revenge!)
(translates to the same)
"Oh, one more thing."
0 It would be nice if such a simple definition covered all of the twists and turns of leadership.
Niccolo
Karamchand
ibn
vs
Better to be Feared?
Niccolo
Follow the Leader 0/0/00
Follow the Leader 0/0/00
0 It would be nice if such a simple definition covered all of the twists and turns of leadership.
Niccolo
Karamchand
ibn
Niccolo
Bentz
"Goddess accept the sacrifice I offer."
summoner
summoner
summoner
Where?"
"Aah
I frowned, "It's blood.
"The neighbors were complaining, you know we couldn't keep them."
Send report now?
Send
-M
The information listed below is from your use of the spelling checker, grammer checker, thesaurus, and hyphenation tool. If this information is sent to Microsoft it will be used only to improve our software and services.
Review the list below, you can delete any lines you do not wish to send.
Or something
His parents' basement).
Maybe.
"Mrrrr
mrrr
The cat cried sadly, wavint it's paws.
"Uhhhgghhhrrhh
(translation: "WTF?!
(translation: "WTF?!
hellspawn
HOW DARE YOU TRESPASS ON OUR LANDS!?!"
(translation: "We value our cats.
(translation: "We value our cats.
(translation: "I come for revenge!)
(translates to the same)
"Oh, one more thing."
0 It would be nice if such a simple definition covered all of the twists and turns of leadership.
Niccolo
Karamchand
ibn
vs
Better to be Feared?
Niccolo
Follow the Leader 0/0/00
Follow the Leader 0/0/00
0 It would be nice if such a simple definition covered all of the twists and turns of leadership.
Niccolo
Karamchand
ibn
Niccolo
Bentz
"Goddess accept the sacrifice I offer."
summoner
summoner
summoner
Where?"
"Aah
I frowned, "It's blood.
"The neighbors were complaining, you know we couldn't keep them."
Send report now?
Send
-M
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Meghan: Roosters
“Goddess accept the sacrifice that I offer.”
Moonlight gleamed on the sacrificial cleaver as it descended on the hapless rooster’s neck. There was surprisingly little blood as the body jerked in its death throes. The woman in the graveyard pressed it into the dirt, trying to direct what blood there was onto the correct grave, mixing growls of frustration with Latin. As the last phrase left her lips a hand broke free from its cover of dirt. A long dead corpse dug its way free from the ground to stand gaping in front of the woman who had summoned it.
“Excellent.” She breathed, scrubbing her bloody hands on her shirt as she walked around the undead. It was an old woman, still wearing the flowery dress she had been buried in, now ripped and torn from her journey. Her white wispy hair was caked with dirt and fell out in patches. Her blue eyes were milky and vacant, focused vaguely on the summoner. The summoner hopped up and down a few times with excitement before she could contain herself, looking around rapidly to see if anyone had seen. But the graveyard was empty in the moonlight.
“All right,” The summoner murmured striding over to a pen where one more rooster eyed her warily, “Let’s try another one.”
I stirred oatmeal as it cooked on the stove, the repetitive motions making me sleepy. Jasmine was curled up at the kitchen table, her head resting on folded arms. I set out bowls and poured oatmeal into them, adding a handful of strawberries, then tapped Jasmine on the head. She started awake and blinked at her oatmeal. I almost expected her to set her face in it like a squishy warm pillow. Thankfully this did not happen. Looking more awake as she ate, she started talking about a test we had that week.
“You have some strawberry on your cheek.”
“What? Where?” She patted her face.
“There.” I playfully kissed and licked her cheek.
“Aah gross, stop.” She pushed me off, rubbing at her face.
I frowned, “It’s blood. Why is there blood?”
Her face froze, “Uh…”
And then I realized what had been different that morning. What I hadn’t heard.
I raced to the backyard.
I made it to the door before Jasmine slammed into me, taking me to the floor.
“Calm down, calm down.” She said soothingly, which wasn’t very soothing as she was pinning my wrists and torso.
“Calm down!?” I hissed, rolling her across the floor, “What did you do to them?”
“The neighbors were complaining, you know we couldn’t keep them.”
“But…” I curled against her chest, suddenly wanting to be comforted more than wrestled to the ground, “I feel like I should have done it.”
She tucked her chin over my head, “You couldn’t even kill baby rats for your snake.”
I punched her lightly in the chest, “Neither could you.”
“Well I had a greater cause.”
I snorted, “And what was that?”
“I’m going to start the zombie apocalypse.”
-M
Moonlight gleamed on the sacrificial cleaver as it descended on the hapless rooster’s neck. There was surprisingly little blood as the body jerked in its death throes. The woman in the graveyard pressed it into the dirt, trying to direct what blood there was onto the correct grave, mixing growls of frustration with Latin. As the last phrase left her lips a hand broke free from its cover of dirt. A long dead corpse dug its way free from the ground to stand gaping in front of the woman who had summoned it.
“Excellent.” She breathed, scrubbing her bloody hands on her shirt as she walked around the undead. It was an old woman, still wearing the flowery dress she had been buried in, now ripped and torn from her journey. Her white wispy hair was caked with dirt and fell out in patches. Her blue eyes were milky and vacant, focused vaguely on the summoner. The summoner hopped up and down a few times with excitement before she could contain herself, looking around rapidly to see if anyone had seen. But the graveyard was empty in the moonlight.
“All right,” The summoner murmured striding over to a pen where one more rooster eyed her warily, “Let’s try another one.”
I stirred oatmeal as it cooked on the stove, the repetitive motions making me sleepy. Jasmine was curled up at the kitchen table, her head resting on folded arms. I set out bowls and poured oatmeal into them, adding a handful of strawberries, then tapped Jasmine on the head. She started awake and blinked at her oatmeal. I almost expected her to set her face in it like a squishy warm pillow. Thankfully this did not happen. Looking more awake as she ate, she started talking about a test we had that week.
“You have some strawberry on your cheek.”
“What? Where?” She patted her face.
“There.” I playfully kissed and licked her cheek.
“Aah gross, stop.” She pushed me off, rubbing at her face.
I frowned, “It’s blood. Why is there blood?”
Her face froze, “Uh…”
And then I realized what had been different that morning. What I hadn’t heard.
I raced to the backyard.
I made it to the door before Jasmine slammed into me, taking me to the floor.
“Calm down, calm down.” She said soothingly, which wasn’t very soothing as she was pinning my wrists and torso.
“Calm down!?” I hissed, rolling her across the floor, “What did you do to them?”
“The neighbors were complaining, you know we couldn’t keep them.”
“But…” I curled against her chest, suddenly wanting to be comforted more than wrestled to the ground, “I feel like I should have done it.”
She tucked her chin over my head, “You couldn’t even kill baby rats for your snake.”
I punched her lightly in the chest, “Neither could you.”
“Well I had a greater cause.”
I snorted, “And what was that?”
“I’m going to start the zombie apocalypse.”
-M
Monday, March 7, 2011
Doug: Wounds
I need to write a 7 page paper. But I'm going to do this instead, because this is the disquiet that follows my soul, and the paper is but a shadow on my mind.
A woman slept on me today. This is neither exciting nor new. Many girls and women have slept on me, with me or in my presence. Some have been friends. Some have been more than friends. Some have been both.
As I watched the soft female body beneath me slip into the twilight of dreams, I found myself thinking back to others that have done so. I found myself thinking of a mop of blonde hair, a sharp contrast to the rich chestnut flowing over my arm. I found myself thinking of a much smaller frame, with narrow eyes that changed color with her mood. I found myself thinking of someone else.
The one who slept on me today does not know that this is who I thought of. I do not know what she thinks. I'm not sure that I care.
I am angry. In an exhausted way. I'm convinced I made the right decision, but not particularly pleased with it. This is the way of things.
It will be this way for some time I feel. A ghost or two will haunt my quiet moments. It is the way of things, when you have lost something you love.
But what scares me, in the only way I can be scared anymore, is that no matter how hard I try I can't seem to forget the way she smells, the way she smiles, the look in her eyes when she's afraid.
The look in her eyes when she's in love.
God damn it. I hate it when the only option is to lose.
-Doug
"It was all or nothing. I wanted her to love me, and me alone. But I knew if I made her choose that she'd grow to hate me for forcing her. So I made the decision for her."
"And now she hates you anyway."
"No. And that's the worst part about it."
A woman slept on me today. This is neither exciting nor new. Many girls and women have slept on me, with me or in my presence. Some have been friends. Some have been more than friends. Some have been both.
As I watched the soft female body beneath me slip into the twilight of dreams, I found myself thinking back to others that have done so. I found myself thinking of a mop of blonde hair, a sharp contrast to the rich chestnut flowing over my arm. I found myself thinking of a much smaller frame, with narrow eyes that changed color with her mood. I found myself thinking of someone else.
The one who slept on me today does not know that this is who I thought of. I do not know what she thinks. I'm not sure that I care.
I am angry. In an exhausted way. I'm convinced I made the right decision, but not particularly pleased with it. This is the way of things.
It will be this way for some time I feel. A ghost or two will haunt my quiet moments. It is the way of things, when you have lost something you love.
But what scares me, in the only way I can be scared anymore, is that no matter how hard I try I can't seem to forget the way she smells, the way she smiles, the look in her eyes when she's afraid.
The look in her eyes when she's in love.
God damn it. I hate it when the only option is to lose.
-Doug
"It was all or nothing. I wanted her to love me, and me alone. But I knew if I made her choose that she'd grow to hate me for forcing her. So I made the decision for her."
"And now she hates you anyway."
"No. And that's the worst part about it."
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Meghan:From the internet, with love
In response to Homosexuality is a sin:
So is not treating your body like a temple. And ladies should have their heads covered. And in Deuteronomy, a marriage is only valid if the woman is a virgin, and she should be executed if she is not...and that anyone who commits adultery should be stoned to death. In Mark, divorce is prohibited.
I assume for homosexuality, you're referring to Leviticus 18:6: "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female. It is an abomination." A similar verse occurs two chapters later, in Leviticus 20:13: "A man who sleeps with another man is an abomination and should be executed." Leviticus is a holiness code written 3,000 years ago. It also includes prohibitions against round haircuts, tattoos, working on the Sabbath, wearing garments of mixed fabrics, eating pork or shellfish, getting your fortune told, and even playing with the skin of a pig. (There goes football!). I believe in morality, which is doing right regardless of what I am told... not in religion, which is doing what I am told regardless of what is right. You're welcome to your own interpretation of the Bible and of politics, of course, but for me, I need more than "the Bible says so" to justify certain things in this world and certainly to judge them.
-L
Not by me, but I wish it were
So is not treating your body like a temple. And ladies should have their heads covered. And in Deuteronomy, a marriage is only valid if the woman is a virgin, and she should be executed if she is not...and that anyone who commits adultery should be stoned to death. In Mark, divorce is prohibited.
I assume for homosexuality, you're referring to Leviticus 18:6: "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female. It is an abomination." A similar verse occurs two chapters later, in Leviticus 20:13: "A man who sleeps with another man is an abomination and should be executed." Leviticus is a holiness code written 3,000 years ago. It also includes prohibitions against round haircuts, tattoos, working on the Sabbath, wearing garments of mixed fabrics, eating pork or shellfish, getting your fortune told, and even playing with the skin of a pig. (There goes football!). I believe in morality, which is doing right regardless of what I am told... not in religion, which is doing what I am told regardless of what is right. You're welcome to your own interpretation of the Bible and of politics, of course, but for me, I need more than "the Bible says so" to justify certain things in this world and certainly to judge them.
-L
Not by me, but I wish it were
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Sarah: Under the Influence of A Merlot
Alright - You, who reposts that same post from the Buterblog, dear God - Stop! I hear your pleas for me to post, and your crazy attempts to force me to. Seriously, please, I beg of thee, just text me next time or tell Meghan as you walk in the door and she'll tell me. But in the name of the holiest of holies, do not force the readers of this blog to endure another repetition of my last post from a completely different blog and era. Thank you.
On that note I have many discoveries -
1. Being a part of something is more than doing your part.
2. Infatuation and love are completely different. Love isn't work, but to show your love requires understanding your loved ones' "language of love." There are five - acts of service, gifts, words of affirmation, physical touch, and quality time. Read Gary Chapman's "The Five Love Languages" for enlightenment.
3. I am not searching for love from somebody else, I am searching for how to love myself.
4. Wanting a dream and fulfilling it are two different ball games.
5. Never give advice you wouldn't take.
6. Merlot is good, champagne is better.
7. Practicing homosexuality is not in accordance with God's laws. None of us are living in accordance with God's laws.
8. I will drag Casey to the beach for his birthday this year. Like, nothing will stop me.
9. As of right now, there are two things I want out of my life: a great dane named Condor and a house.
10. Meghan, don't judge me: a Hello Kitty tatoo was and is a perfectly splendid idea.
11. Best Quote Ever = Having a Kid is like getting a tatoo on your face, before you go through with it you should be sure you are committed.
12. It is okay to let someone go. To stop trying to be the glue, the fix-it family-man. Sometimes its better.
And now that the wine glass is empty and I am slow at spelling words...I am going to leave you with all of that.
Sincerely,
Happy Valentines Day,
Sarah
On that note I have many discoveries -
1. Being a part of something is more than doing your part.
2. Infatuation and love are completely different. Love isn't work, but to show your love requires understanding your loved ones' "language of love." There are five - acts of service, gifts, words of affirmation, physical touch, and quality time. Read Gary Chapman's "The Five Love Languages" for enlightenment.
3. I am not searching for love from somebody else, I am searching for how to love myself.
4. Wanting a dream and fulfilling it are two different ball games.
5. Never give advice you wouldn't take.
6. Merlot is good, champagne is better.
7. Practicing homosexuality is not in accordance with God's laws. None of us are living in accordance with God's laws.
8. I will drag Casey to the beach for his birthday this year. Like, nothing will stop me.
9. As of right now, there are two things I want out of my life: a great dane named Condor and a house.
10. Meghan, don't judge me: a Hello Kitty tatoo was and is a perfectly splendid idea.
11. Best Quote Ever = Having a Kid is like getting a tatoo on your face, before you go through with it you should be sure you are committed.
12. It is okay to let someone go. To stop trying to be the glue, the fix-it family-man. Sometimes its better.
And now that the wine glass is empty and I am slow at spelling words...I am going to leave you with all of that.
Sincerely,
Happy Valentines Day,
Sarah
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