After death, decomposition starts, a process that is aided by microbes. The decomposing corpse becomes a veritable miniature ecosystem, replete with a multitude of scavenging microorganisms and insects that work in collaboration to recycle organic materials.
In this presentation from the American Society of Microbiology, Jennifer DeBruyn, an Associate Professor in the Department of Biosystems Engineering & Soil Science at The University of Tennessee gives a talk, seen in this video, on the process of human decomposition and how it applies to subjects such as forensics, livestock management and fossilization. As a microbial ecologist, she is an expert in these areas of research.