Why does the Body change temperature after death?

 

    Have you ever felt something postmortem before? Ever notice how cold it feels? Especially if it has been deceased for some time. Well, this is because the bodies temperature is controlled by the hypothalamus. This is a region in the forebrain, that controls body temperature, and when someone passes away, this is no longer working, which leads to the body cooling down. It is really pretty cool! 

    While one is alive it works to maintain a body temperature of around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. If for whatever reason there is a shift in body temperature, it works to either reheat the body back up, or cool the body down. Although mostly the body will cool after death, there are some instances where it can actually heat up. In extreme climates of course! Imagine dying in Death Valley, where in the hottest parts of the year can exceed temperatures of 120 degrees Fahrenheit!

Johnson, J. (2018, August 22). What does the hypothalamus do? Retrieved from Medical News Today: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/312628

Rattenbury, A. (2018). Forensic Taphonomy . Retrieved from Science Direct : https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/algor-mortis