DECOMPOSITION

Decomposition

Decomposition is the process by which organic substances are broken down into simpler forms of matter. The process is essential for recycling the finite matter that occupies physical space in the biome. Bodies of living organisms begin to decompose shortly after death. Although no two organisms decompose in the same way, they all undergo the same sequential stages of decomposition. The science which studies decomposition is generally referred to as taphonomy from the Greek word τάφος taphos, meaning tomb.

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decomposition

Noun

  1. A biological process through which organic material is reduced to e.g. compost
  2. The act of taking something apart, e.g. for analysis
  3. The splitting (of e.g. a matrix, an atom or a compound) into constituent parts


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: decomposition
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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