what does embalming fluid do to the body
Embalming chemicals Embalming fluid acts to fix (denature) cellular proteins, meaning that they cannot act as a nutrient source for bacteria; embalming fluid also kills the bacteria themselves. Formaldehyde or glutaraldehyde fixes tissue or cells by irreversibly connecting a primary amine group in a protein molecule with a nearby nitrogen in a protein or DNA molecule through a -CH2- linkage called a Schiff base. The end result also creates the simulation, via color changes, of the appearance of blood flowing under the skin.
Interstitial fluid Not all of the contents of the blood pass into the tissue fluid, which means that tissue fluid and blood are not the same. Red blood cells and platelets cannot pass through the walls of the capillaries. The resulting mixture that does pass through is, in essence, blood plasma with lower concentration of plasma proteins. Tissue fluid also contains some types of white blood cell, which help combat infection.