When someone dies, what happens to the body?

By: Mark Evely, Wayne State University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: November 1, 2025

Words: 1,196

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 2 days ago

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Upwards of 3 million people die every year in the United States. As a funeral director who heads a university mortuary science program, I can tell you that while each individual’s life experiences are unique, what happens to a body after death follows a broadly predictable chain of events.

In general, it depends on three things: where you die, how you die and what you or your family decide on for funeral arrangements …

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