Rigor Mortis

Which of the following best describes rigor mortis?

• It is the pooling of blood after deaath

• It is the stiffening of muscles after death

• It is the cooling of the body after death

Why do muscles get stiff after death?

• The muscles decomposes
• The muscles run out of calcium
• The muscles run out of ATP
• The temperature of the body declines

Which muscles experience rigor FIRST?

• Small
• Large
• All muscles start rigor at the same time

At what hour does the body reach peak rigor?

• 3 hours
• 12 hours
• 36 hours
• 48 hours

Why do muscles lose rigor?

• The body cools down
• The body starts making ATP again
• The muscles get too warm
• The muscles start to decompose

Which person died FIRST (longest ago)?

• Stiffness in legs and arms, only
• Stiffness in face, only
• Stiffness in the entire body

Which of the following would SPEED UP rigor mortis?

• Cold temperatures
• Exercising right before death
• Sleeping right before death
• Having extra body fat

Which of the following explains why warm temperatures speed up rigor mortis?

• Warm temperatures speed up decay of muscles
• Warm temperatures allow the muscles to store more ATP
• Warm temperatures cause the body to run out of ATP faster
• Warm temperatures slow down decay

Which of the following would SLOW down rigor mortis?

• Warm temperatures
• Exercising right before death
• Sleeping right before death
• Being small in size

Which of the following would SPEED up rigor mortis?

• Sleeping at the time of death
• Cold Temperatures
• Being small in size
• Wearing excess clothing at time of death