Mummification Research Paper

Mummification is a modification of putrefaction characterised by the dehydration of the tissues converting the body into a leathery mass of skin and tendons surrounding the bone. The internal organs are often decomposed but preserved. Skin shrinkage may produce large artefactual splits mimmicking injuries, particularly seen in the groins, around the neck, and the armpits. Mummification develops in conditions of dry heat, especially when there are air currents,e.g. in a desert or inside a chimney. Mummification is commonly seen in new-born infants, being small and sterile. Mummification preserves tissues which helps in personal identification and the recognition of injuries. Maceration …show more content…
Little information on this area has been published in various dermatologic and forensic literatures.. The skin may give several clues in identification of an individual as well as the time of death ,mode of injury. signs of internal disease, habits,outlooks,sexual and religious orientation and mental status of the person. The skin is the largest organ of the body. It constitutes 15 to 20 % of total body mass. It has an area of 2 square metres in adults, and weighs about 5 kilograms.The thickness of skin varies from 0.5mm thick on the eyelids to 4.0mm thick on the heels.. Structurally, the skin consists of two layers which differ in function, histological appearance and their embryological origin. The outer layer or epidermis is formed by epithelium and is of ectodermal origin. The underlying thicker layer, the dermis, consists of connective tissue and develops from the mesoderm. Beneath the two layers, there is a subcutaneous layer of loose connective tissue, the hypodermis or subcutis, which binds the skin to underlying structures. Hair nails and sweat and sebaceous glands are of epithelial origin and collectively called the appendages of the skin. The skin and its appendages together forms the integumentary