Which term describes the body's breakdown after death due to internal enzymatic activity?

• A. Autolysis
• B. Exhumation
• C. Mass murder
• D. Mushroom factor

Answer: (A)

Autolysis is the body's self-digestion after death driven by internal enzymes. When life ends, lysosomal enzymes leak from damaged cell membranes and begin breaking down cellular components from within, causing tissue degradation that can start relatively soon and be most noticeable in organs rich in enzymes. This is different from putrefaction, which is the bacterial breakdown that follows. The other terms don’t describe this internal enzymatic process: exhumation is digging up a body, mass murder is a crime, and mushroom factor isn’t a clinical term.