Autolysis is described as which of the following?

• A. Self-digestion in abdominal area
• B. Gas formation in tissues
• C. Color changes in skin
• D. External tissue cracking

Answer: (A)

Autolysis is the self-digestion of tissues by the body’s own enzymes after death. When cells die, lysosomes release digestive enzymes that begin breaking down cellular components from within, causing the tissue to digest itself. This is an internal, enzymatic process, not caused by outside organisms. Gas formation in tissues, on the other hand, results from bacterial putrefaction after death, which is why it’s not autolysis. Color changes in the skin and external cracking are due to other postmortem processes like circulation stoppage or drying, not the enzymatic self-digestion that defines autolysis.