The necrobiome has been defined as the community of species associated with decaying remains after the death of an organism.[1] The process of decomposition is complex. Microbes decompose cadavers, but other organisms including fungi, nematodes, insects, and larger scavenger animals also contribute.[2] Once the immune system is no longer active, microbes colonizing the intestines and lungs decompose their respective tissues and then travel throughout the body via the circulatory and lymphatic systems to break down other tissue and bone.[3] During this process, gases are released as a by-product and accumulate, causing bloating.[4] Eventually, the gases seep through the body's wounds and natural openings, providing a way for some microbes to exit from the inside of the cadaver and inhabit the outside.[3] The microbial communities colonizing the internal organs of a cadaver are referred to as the thanatomicrobiome.[5] The region outside of the cadaver that is exposed to the external environment is referred to as the epinecrotic microbial communities of the necrobiome,[6][7][5] and is especially important when determining the time and location of death for an individual.[6] Different microbes play specific roles during each stage of the decomposition process. The microbes that colonize the cadaver and the rate of their activity are determined by the cadaver itself and the cadaver's surrounding environmental conditions.[7]
- ^ Benbow ME, Lewis AJ, Tomberlin JK, Pechal JL (March 2013). "Seasonal necrophagous insect community assembly during vertebrate carrion decomposition". Journal of Medical Entomology. 50 (2): 440–50. doi:10.1603/me12194. PMID 23540134. S2CID 2244448.
- ^ Yong E (2015-12-10). "Meet the Necrobiome: The Microbes That Will Eat Your Corpse". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
- ^ a b Janaway RC (1996). "The decay of buried human remains and their associated materials.". In Hunter J, Roberts C, Martin A (eds.). Studies in Crime: An Introduction to Forensic Archaeology. London: Batsford. pp. 58–85.
- ^ Vass AA, Barshick SA, Sega G, Caton J, Skeen JT, Love JC, Synstelien JA (May 2002). "Decomposition chemistry of human remains: a new methodology for determining the postmortem interval". Journal of Forensic Sciences. 47 (3): 542–53. doi:10.1520/JFS15294J. PMID 12051334.
- ^ a b Ventura Spagnolo E, Stassi C, Mondello C, Zerbo S, Milone L, Argo A (February 2019). "Forensic microbiology applications: A systematic review". Legal Medicine. 36: 73–80. doi:10.1016/j.legalmed.2018.11.002. PMID 30419494. S2CID 53293516.
- ^ a b Zhou W, Bian Y (2018-04-03). "Thanatomicrobiome composition profiling as a tool for forensic investigation". Forensic Sciences Research. 3 (2): 105–110. doi:10.1080/20961790.2018.1466430. PMC 6197100. PMID 30483658.
- ^ a b Javan GT, Finley SJ, Can I, Wilkinson JE, Hanson JD, Tarone AM (July 2016). "Human Thanatomicrobiome Succession and Time Since Death". Scientific Reports. 6 (1): 29598. Bibcode:2016NatSR...629598J. doi:10.1038/srep29598. PMC 4944132. PMID 27412051.