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zwoki

Zwłoki are the body of a deceased person; the standard Polish term is zwłoki with the ł. The non-diacritic form zwoki appears in texts without diacritics but is generally considered nonstandard. The term encompasses the corpse itself and remains in various states of preservation, including freshly deceased bodies and those that are partially skeletonized.

In legal, medical, and forensic contexts, zwłoki are handled by authorities and institutions such as morgues,

Identification and examination of zwłoki involve external and internal assessment, documentation of distinguishing features, and comparison

Decomposition and environmental conditions influence the appearance of zwłoki. Early postmortem changes include rigor mortis and

Disposal and memorial practices fol

police,
or
forensic
institutes.
An
autopsy,
or
sekcja
zwłok,
is
a
postmortem
examination
performed
to
determine
cause
and
manner
of
death,
typically
by
a
forensic
pathologist.
In
Poland,
such
procedures
may
require
consent
of
the
deceased’s
next
of
kin,
or
a
court
order
in
cases
of
unexplained,
violent,
or
suspicious
deaths.
with
records.
Methods
may
include
dental
records,
fingerprints,
DNA
analysis,
and
postmortem
imaging
like
CT
scans.
The
process
facilitates
identification,
estimation
of
time
since
death,
and
examination
for
signs
of
disease
or
injury.
livor
mortis;
progression
leads
through
stages
such
as
fresh,
bloat,
active
decay,
and
skeletonization,
with
rate
dependent
on
temperature,
humidity,
and
insect
activity.