Putrefaction is defined as:

• A. Decomposition of the body's tissues.
• B. Blood settling to the lowest point of the body.
• C. Separation of the torso from the rest of the body.
• D. Profound cyanosis to the trunk and face.

Answer: (A)

Putrefaction is the breakdown of body tissues by bacterial action after death. This decomposition is what causes the characteristic odors, gas formation, and changes in tissue appearance as microbes break down proteins and other compounds. The other options describe livor mortis (blood settling to the lowest parts of the body) or unrelated phenomena like dismemberment or extreme cyanosis, which are not about tissue decomposition. Thus, the decomposition of the body's tissues is the correct definition.