So, as I’ve blogged about several times, I really appreciate
being on the Metagenomic research project.
When one of the papers from this research is published, I have to blog
about it, right? Right!
Initially, this
research was very different from the sampling methods I've previously described that we currently use. The cadavers that were
studied were sampled at two times during decomposition: pre-bloat and
post-bloat. The purpose of this was to identify bacterial shifts during significant
changes in the decomposing process. It was
found that there are clear shifts in the bacterial community, but the data
presents itself as just a portion of what may one day be a large data set of
information.
A very interesting point that is brought up in this research
is the idea of the decomposing human body as an ecosystem. Although the
organism is dead, the body is actually very full of life in the form of microorganisms
and bugs. My question to all of you, is
how do you view the cadaver: living or dead? And why do you think that way?
It all depends on how you are studying the cadaver. If you're a medical examiner, then the body is going to be dead. If you're an entomologist, the body could be viewed as a living environment, perfect for the growth and success of certain bacteria and insects.
ReplyDeletePersonally, bugs gross me out so I will continue to look at a cadaver as a dead body. But it doesn't hurt to remember that just because the host is dead doesn't meant that there aren't living organisms still within the body.
Good article! I think people forget that a dead body is much more than just a dead body. The great circle of life, something will thrive and find the use for dead flesh.
You make a great point in saying that the host may be dead, but life still thrives within and around it.
DeleteOkay so here is my definition of dead or alive: If the larger mechanisms of the body fail to function (i.e. the heart stops beating or the brain stops transferring signals to and from the body) then the person is dead. If the person's brain is functioning (brain dead is still functioning), then the person is alive. Sources: my brain told me ;P. It feels good when your contribution becomes a permanent part of scientific history, huh?
ReplyDeleteI'm not so much asking whether the person is alive, moreso just if the cadaver is living. My belief is that a person contains a soul, whereas a cadaver is a vessel in which live can be viewed as absent or present. Also, I don't exactly understand what you are asking. Are you making a joke about your comment, or about how I may feel in my research? Lol. Confusing!
DeleteLike you said, it is full OF life, but I see it as dead. I've been taught growing up, the body is just flesh that our souls live in. Once we're dead, our soul lives on and ashes to ashes with the flesh; but that is just my religious beliefs. I would not even know where to begin to categorize cadavers from a scientific standpoint.
ReplyDeleteI definitely understand your idea about a person; I agree that a person has a soul. I just feel that a cadaver is an entity in which life can thrive in more ways than one. :) I would have never thought of it in this way prior to my joining this project either!
DeleteInteresting question! Although living organisms can inhabit a cadaver, I do not view it as living. Certain processes that are characteristic of living organisms, such as reproduction and respiration, cannot be achieved by a cadaver.
ReplyDeleteNice point!
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