There are some excellent past posts by Dr. Bruce Williams which go into what makes for a successful necropsy in the archives of both the FHL and FML. Freezing ruptures cells so it can be used it certain content isolation procedures are being done at that point for that particular study but not if any cells need to be studied for form and characteristics. The GI tract begins to self-digest very rapidly ( hours) as do some organs like the gallbladder which support that. The longer the cadaver sits, even in refrigeration, the more likely that the lungs will appear as if pathology is present due to increasing sponginess, and settling of blood (lividity which happens elsewhere, too, as blood drifts to the lowest spots it can reach) and coagulation of blood. If the cadaver goes even two days in refrigeration there can be bacterial overgrowths, including of bacteria which are normally present. Those are the pretty rapid things. Over more time yet more changes. You can see why the tissues need to be placed into formalin quite rapidly. Here are just a few of the posts on this topic to teach you: http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=YG3835 http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=YG8664 http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=YG10682 http://listserv.cuny.edu/Scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind0010&L=ferret-search&P=R364 [A later P.S.] The time frame in which a necropsy which has accurate pathology can be done is no longer than 48 hours from time of death to when the tissues are properly set in formalin according to multiple past posts of Dr. Bruce Williams. -- Sukie (who was lucky enough to get the right man with whom to share life and its discoveries) Our holiday card with sound: (Best color rendition on Macs but that is by definition :-) ) created by Steve in all regards except writing the music http://homepage.mac.com/esc/yule.html That last minute gift: http://www.grand-illusions.com/dragon.htm or a very involved one: http://www.ghouse.com/daniel/stereoscopy/equipment/ Find audio and video: http://search.singingfish.com/sfw/home.jsp How stuff works (including singing fish): http://www.howstuffworks.com/ only the Danes: http://www.artnode.org/art/jacobsen/art/pom2/index.html neo-osteology: http://www.michaelpaulus.com/gallery/character-Skeletons enjoy (Danes again?): http://www.duckomenta.de/index.htm a new Steve recommendation: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/inourtime/ if you have Explorer: http://tingilinde.typepad.com/starstuff/2004/12/dumping_explore.html [Posted in FML issue 4735]
