Table of contents:
Death is a mystery. No one knows when it will come. It is not only a matter of time, death also does not know what will come when you are doing. Maybe you have heard of someone dying in a sitting position, sleeping, or even while prostrating while worshiping. Are you curious? Can humans die when they stand upright? If traced logically, it seems impossible because the earth's gravitational force will pull down a lifeless body. But it turns out, standing dead is possible, you know!
Dying standing is a rare phenomenon
In the medical world, standing death is a term to describe the rigorous condition of a corpse, aka rigor mortis, which is also called rigid death.
This rare phenomenon has ever happened to a soldier from Japan. The prajuit is known to have died standing still after fighting to protect other soldiers. Ironically, no one knew that he had died for a long time because of his upright position which was thought to be watching the surroundings.
Why does someone die standing up?
Died in a stiff body position due to cessation of oxygen intake throughout the body after death. The absence of oxygen in the body causes the production of the chemical compound ATP (adenosine triphosphate) to also stop.
ATP is an important source of energy in the body. ATP is used to help muscles work (contract when used and relax when resting). ATP also helps regenerate damaged muscle cells. Along with depleting oxygen intake and ATP levels, the body's metabolism also stops so that the body will stiffen.
Generally, corpse stiffness begins to slowly occur 3 to 4 hours after death. The body will be completely stiff after 7 to 12 hours. After about 36 hours or two days later, the stiff muscles will relax again. Relaxation of these muscles triggers the intestines to push and flush out toxins and fluids out of the body.
However, a person's risk of dying while standing stiff is higher if their body has used up large amounts of ATP shortly before death. For example, by doing strenuous exercise when the body is tired.
His body will be deprived of oxygen more quickly so that ATP depletes quickly. Finally, the body will be faster or immediately experience katana when it dies. This is what causes a person to die suddenly standing up.
In a case that had happened to a Japanese soldier, oxygen and ATP were running low due to fighting against hundreds of soldiers and his body was full of so many arrows from the enemy. A person who has a deep wound that sticks to the body (such as arrows piercing the body) can maintain the posture of the corpse in a standing position and not bend when he dies.
