How is algor mortis defined?

Algor mortis is defined as the cooling of the body's temperature after death. This phenomenon occurs as the metabolic processes cease and the body begins to equilibrate with the ambient temperature. Typically, the body cools at a rate of approximately 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit (or about 1 degree Celsius) per hour, although this can vary based on several factors, including environmental conditions and the individual's body composition at the time of death.

Understanding algor mortis is crucial in forensic pathology as it helps establish a timeline of death. By measuring body temperature and analyzing the cooling rate, forensic experts can make inferences about the time elapsed since death, aiding in investigations.

The other concepts, such as changes in body coloration or the stiffening of muscles, pertain to other postmortem changes, namely livor mortis (the settling of blood leading to discoloration) and rigor mortis (the stiffening of muscle tissues). The warming of the body after death is not a characteristic change and does not reflect the physiological processes that occur following death.