Necrobiome

The necrobiome has been defined as the community of species associated with decaying corpse remains.^[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including fungi, nematodes, insects, and larger scavenger animals also contribute.^[2] Once the immune system is no longer active, microbes colonizing the intestines and lungs decompose their respective tissues and then travel throughout the body via the blood and lymphatic systems to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 portion 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 will colonize the cadaver and the rate of their activity are determined by the cadaver itself and the cadaver's surrounding environmental conditions.^[7]