British scientists have found out what smells like death – BBC

Scientists have found that just before the death of a person living cells begin to secrete large amounts of hexanal – volatile substances that give the characteristic aroma of freshly cut grass. Researchers presented the results to British Science Festival , which runs from 7 to 10 September.

To work, scientists have gained some freshly slaughtered pigs, whose carcasses are placed in a sealed box, protected germs. They then each hour took samples of air from the box, and analyzed its composition by gas chromatography, comparing the results with those produced within the body of a living person.

It turned out that our body begins to break down before in bacteria getting into the act – even living cells begin as expressed by scientists to digest themselves, resulting in a large amount of hexanal – volatile substances that give the characteristic aroma of freshly cut grass. In addition, during this process are formed two other substances – indole, which has quite a sharp scent, and trimethylamine, smelling of fresh paint or fish.

The authors hope that they prepare extracts putrid smell to help train forensic sobak- bloodhounds to find people who died recently, and to develop a methodology that will determine the time of death of the structure of odors.