thwapology: Adipocere Adipocere is the saponification of human fat. It is a waxy grey-brown substanc
thwapology: Adipocere Adipocere is the saponification of human fat. It is a waxy grey-brown substance that is rarely seen in real life but often tested on. The fat is broken down into fatty acids but only in the right conditions. There has to be plenty of water, just the right temperature and time. Adipocere is predominantly made of saturated fatty acids which results from the hydrolysis and hydrogenation of neutral fats in the body. The formation of this actually inhibits further decomposition. http://www.academia.dk/BiologiskAntropologi/Tafonomi/PDF/Adipocere/The_effect_of_the_burial_environment_on_adipocere_formation.pdf -- source link
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