BIOL-130-02
Prof. Pericone
Rigor Mortis Rigor mortis is a condition causing the body to stiffen several hours after death (Zhou, 2015). This occurs when both breathing and the heartbeat ceases to continue. Cells of the body will no longer receive their oxygen which in turn stops aerobic respiration. In the muscle, actin and myosin filaments cause the contractions until ATP binds to myosin and detaches the actin and myosin from each other. Aerobic respiration is necessary to produce more ATP, but cannot occur once breathing and the heartbeat stop. The shortage of ATP would not allow the myosin and actin filaments to release from their contracted state, leaving the muscles to remain stiff and tense (Zhou, 2015). According to