Life After Death: What Happens to Your Body After You Die?

Death is not an end - it's a new beginning. After death, all of the molecules that came together to form the living "you" become nutrients for millions of creatures, large and small. Your body becomes the hub of a complex ecosystem of microbes, insects, worms, plants and more. Cheer up! This book shows how you are going to live forever - as components of so many other wonderful creatures. It describes the science behind the remarkable recycling of your body. We begin with lessons about how your body functions, is a collection of valuable nutrients and is a home to millions of microbes. The book goes on to describe the various stages the body passes through as it decomposes following death. The microbes and insects that make use of your tissues are then introduced. Finally, you will learn about the enduring effects that your body will have on the wider biosphere. We are rich in valuable resources that will end up feeding an immense number and variety of other creatures. Inevitably, your body will support the continuation of life on our beautiful planet - this book describes how all this happens.

Autorentext

Michael Wilson is Emeritus Professor of Microbiology at University College London where he was based for more than 30 years. He has published 337 scientific papers, holds 13 patents and in 1991 was awarded the Inventor of the Year prize by Toshiba for inventing a device that produces pure drinking water from contaminated water sources. In 2011 he was appointed Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques by the President of France for his services to French culture. He has produced a number of exhibitions for the general public about his research and was Senior Scientific Advisor to the Eden Project for their Invisible you; the human microbiome exhibition which opened in 2015. He has published 14 books, mainly in the fields of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. His most recent books are: Into the labyrinth; in search of Daidalos (2020) and Close encounters of the microbial kind; everything you need to know about common infections (2021).

Klappentext
Death is not an end it's a new beginning. After death, all of the molecules that came together to form the living you become nutrients for millions of creatures, large and small. Your body becomes the hub of a complex ecosystem of microbes, insects, worms, plants and more. Cheer up! This book shows how you are going to live forever as components of so many other wonderful creatures. It describes the science behind the remarkable recycling of your body. We begin with lessons about how your body functions, is a collection of valuable nutrients and is a home to millions of microbes. The book goes on to describe the various stages the body passes through as it decomposes following death. The microbes and insects that make use of your tissues are then introduced. Finally, you will learn about the enduring effects that your body will have on the wider biosphere. We are rich in valuable resources that will end up feeding an immense number and variety of other creatures. Inevitably, your body will support the continuation of life on our beautiful planet this book describes how all this happens.

Inhalt
PrefaceChapter 1. It comes to us all
Chapter 2. A rich bag of goodies - the human body as a source of nutrients2.1 What types of tissues are present in my body? 2.1.1 Epithelial tissue keeping it all together2.1.2 Connective tissue our support system 2.1.3 Muscle tissue standing and moving2.1.4 Nervous tissue I've got a feeling (thank you Beatles) 2.2 But what are all these tissues made up of?2.2.1 Small is beautiful, but big is also very important 2.2.2 Structures of the main macromolecules in humans 2.2.3 Where are macromolecules found in human tissues?2.3 How available to microbes and insects are the nutrients present in the human body? 2.4 And then, of course, we shouldn't forget that brown, smelly stuff 2.5 Want to know more?
Chapter 3. Our life-long microbial companions who are they and what do they get up to while we're alive?3.1 What are microbes? 3.1.1 What is the definition of a microbe? 3.1.2 So, how are these six types of microbes different from each other?3.1.3 They're so small so they must be very simple creatures?3.1.4 How do we identify the various types of microbes? 3.2 Meet my best friends - my microbiota3.2.1 How many microbes live on me?3.2.2 Do all parts of my body have the same microbes?3.2.3 Which microbes live in my gut?3.2.3.1 Microbes that live in our mouth 3.2.3.2 Microbes that live in our stomach3.2.3.3 Microbes that live in our small intestine 3.2.3.4 Microbes that live in our large intestine3.2.4 Which microbes live on my skin? 3.2.5 Which microbes live in my respiratory system?3.2.6 What about the microbes that live at other body sites?3.3 How do we manage to co-exist with our microbiota?3.4 Want to know more?
Chapter 4. Not a pretty picture our appearance after death4.1 How can we find out what happens to a body after death?4.2 The decomposition of a human corpse follows a predictable pattern4.3 What are the various stages involved in decomposition?4.3.1 The fresh stage 0 to 3 days after death 4.3.2 The bloat stage 2 to 6 days after death4.3.3 The stage of active decay 5 to 11 days after death4.3.4 Advanced decay (or post-decay) stage - 10 to 25 days after death4.3.5 Skeletal decay stage - >25 days after death 4.4 The smell of death - I think, I think, I smell a stink, it comes from you 4.5 Factors that affect the rate of decomposition4.6 Where's my mummy?4.7 Want to know more?
Chapter 5. The great betrayal our own cells and our symbionts turn against us**5.1 It all starts with autolysis the damage is self-inflicted5.2. And now the microbes can take over5.3. It all comes down to ecology5.4. ChCh.Ch.changes (with thanks to David Bowie)5.5. Mass migration a world (or, at least, a corpse) without borders 5.6. Knock, knock who's there?5.6.1. A general overview the broad-brush approach5.6.2. What happens to specific organs?5.6.2.1. What happens in your mouth?5.6.2.2. What happens in your gut?5.6.2.3. What happens to your skin?5.6...