Body Tissues and
Decomposition
 Objective: To learn
how to differentiate
between the various
tissues found in the
body.
Did you know . . . .
 The skin is the largest organ in the
human body
 The “tickle” signal flows through the
body at 200 mph
 It is impossible to tickle yourself
Eddie Gein
1. Why do you think Gein killed people?
2. How did he obtain some of his victims?
3. Which type of tissue(s) did Gein use to
make furniture?
Body Tissues
Types:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Epithelial Tissue
 Arranged in various
_______
 Why does the number
of layers vary?
Epithelial Tissues
(Continued)
Function:
 Covers and lines
Found:
 Skin, lines organs, respiratory tract
Connective Tissue
 Cells are arranged in
a ________
 How does this help?
Connective Tissue
(Continued)
Function:
 Bind, support and
hold
Found in :
1. Bones
2. Cartilage
3. Tendons
4. Fat (adipose)
5. Blood
Nervous Tissue
 Found in the brain
spinal cord and nerves
Nervous Tissue
Function:
 Coordinates and
controls body activity
 Sends and receives
messages
Neuron
Muscle Tissue
 Produce movement
Types:
1. Skeletal Muscle
tissue
 Moves bones
 Skeletal Muscles
What does striated mean?
Muscle Tissue
2. Cardiac
 Makes the heart
pump
 Only in the heart
3. Smooth
 Organ movement
 Stomach and other
organs
What does striated mean?
Types of Tissues Chart
Type of Tissue
Function
Found
Picture
Cardiac Muscle
N/A
Skeletal Muscle
N/A
Smooth Muscle
N/A
Epithelial Tissue
Nervous Tissue
Connective
Tissue
Characteristic
Voluntarily
Controlled
Skeletal Muscle
Tissue
x
Single Nucleus
Multinucleated
Attach to bones
Smooth Muscle
Tissue
x
x
x
x
x
x
Involuntarily
Controlled
Striated
Cardiac Muscle
Tissue
x
x
x
Found in walls of
stomach and
arteries
Move bone
Found in the
heart
x
x
Voluntary vs Involuntary
Voluntary
 Have conscious
control
Involuntary
 Do not have control
Case Study #1 Eddie Gein
 Eddie Gein skinned
all his victims and
used their skin to
make furniture. He
made a couch out of
several people.
a) What type of tissue
was Eddie’s couch
made up of?
b) Give an example of
where this type of
tissue is found
Case Study #2 Jeffery Dahmer
 Dahmer was a
cannabalistic serial
killer. His favorite
meal consisted of a
soup made from
human brains and
spinal cords.
a) What type of tissue
would be found in
Dahmer’s stew?
b) What is the
function of that
tissue?
Case Study #3 Hannibal
 Hannibal was a
cannibal who loved
to eat stomach and
lungs mixed with
fava beans.
a) Which type of
tissue would be
found in his meal?
b) What is the
function of this
tissue?
c) Which other organs
can this tissue be
found in?
Case Study #4 John Dillinger
 John Dillinger was
found dead in his
home. His dogs
began to eat his
remains, their favorite
cut of meat was
Dillinger’s gluetus
maximus.
a) Which muscle did
his dog’s eat?
b) Which type of
tissue(s) did his
dogs eat?
c) Which tissues would
be the most
abundant?
d) What is the function
of each type of
tissue?
Case Study #5 Snookie
 The remains of
Snookie washed up
along the Jersey
Shore yesterday. All
that was left of her
was a few pieces of
tanned skin and a
complete skeleton.
a) Which type of
tissue would be
found in Snookie’s
remains?
b) What was the
source of the
tissues?
c) What do you think
happened to her
organs?
Case Study #6 Jason Vorhees
 Looks like Jason met
his final match. His
body was discovered
last week in a ditch.
The circulatory and
respiratory organs
were missing.
a) Which organs were
removed from
Jason’s body?
b) What type of tissue
would be found in
the organs?
c) What is the function
of each tissue?
Body Cavities
 ________ internal
organs from
_________
Decomposition
 ______ _______
of ______ of a
dead organism
 When does death
occur?
How long does decomposition
take?
Dependent on:
1. Environment
 E.x.
2. Situation
 E.x.
The Body Farm
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkN
dCSW1n_g
Stages of Decomposition
1. Initial Decay
2. Putrefaction
3. Black
putrefaction
4. Butyric
fermentation
5. Dry decay
Stages of Decomposition
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e6j
xW07RdU
#1: Initial Decay
 Within 2 days after
death
 Bacteria digest
internal organs
 Skin is stained
Green/purplish
staining
 Blood decomposition
#2 Putrefaction
(AKA Bloat)
 Within 4 days
after death
 Skin blisters
 Gas released by
bacteria causes
the body to bloat
#3 Black Putrefaction
 10-20 days after
death
 Parts of flesh
appear black
 Gases escape
 Body collapses
#4 Butyric Fermentation
 20-50 days after
death
 “Cheesy” smell
due to butyric acid
production
 Body begins to
dry out
#5 Dry Decay
 50-365 days after
death
 Hair disappears
 Only bones left
Factors that effect the Rate of
Decomposition
Rth???Corpus B
Estimate the time of death
Estimate the time of death
What is Forensic Entomology?
 The use of
________ that
inhabit a ________
to aid ___________
Insects and Stages of
Decomposition
 Initial Decay:
 Putrefaction:
 Black Putrefaction:
 Butyric Fermentation:
 Dry Decay:
Estimating Time of Death
Using the Fly Life Cycle
Adults lay eggs:
 Day 1:
 Days 2-5:
Contiuned
 Days 6-19:
 Emergence:
How does this help
an investigation?
Victim #1
Victim #2
Victim #3
Victim #4
Eddie Gein