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Título:
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Descripción:
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Death sucks.
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[Bus honking]
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But what happens to your body after you die
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is fascinating.
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So we're going to show you.
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Don't worry. It won't be gross.
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Much.
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Once a person's breathing stops,
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the cells in their body stop receiving oxygen.
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But the cells continue to live
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for several minutes,
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generating carbon dioxide.
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Carbon dioxide is acidic
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and it builds up,
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rupturing sacs inside the cells.
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These sacs contain enzymes
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that begin to digest the cells
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from the inside out.
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This creates a blister-like fluid
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rich in nutrients.
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After about a week, those nutrients
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fuel an army of bacteria
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and fungi that further
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liquefy organs and muscles.
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The microbes that attack the tissue
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produce a bewildering array
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of more than 400 chemicals and gasses.
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They include:
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Freon: that's right, the coolant found in refrigerators.
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Benzene: a powerful component in gasoline.
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Sulfur: which smells of swamps
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and rotten eggs.
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And a molecule known as Carbon Tetrachloride
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which was used in fire extringuishers
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and dry cleaning, until scientists
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discovered it's highly toxic.
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At this point, there's very little flesh left
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and it's consumed by – here it comes –
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maggots and beetles.
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Insects leave only bones behind.
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Over time, the protein in bone decomposes, too.
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Leaving just the bone mineral called
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Hydroxyapatite
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which eventually turns to dust.
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We can take some solace in the fact
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that all those nutrients and chemicals,
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even the dust,
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provide vital substances that
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make soils fertile,
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sprouting plants and other new life
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after our lives have ended.
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Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.