CHED 950 |
| Adipocere or “grave wax” is caused by the breakdown of fatty acids and body fat in decomposing bodies. In some cases, when a body has been missing for a long time and the conditions permit, adipocere can form and be seen with the naked eye. However, in many cases it is not formed in large enough quantities to be visible. This study evaluates the formation of adipocere on mice over a two-month period using gas chromatography. The composition of the adipocere as well as the rate of its formation was tabulated. The data was used to evaluate the viability of adipocere formation as a method to determine the post-mortem interval. The rate of formation of the adipocere as well as its change in composition over time was used in the analysis. |
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Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Biochemistry
2:00 PM-4:00 PM, Monday, March 26, 2007 Hyatt Regency Chicago -- Riverside Center, Poster
Division of Chemical Education |