HORTICULTURE

Detailed explanation-1: -The second way the eye can help determine the postmortem interval is through the measurement of potassium levels in the vitreous humor. After death, blood cells in the body break down and release potassium. In the eye, this process happens more slowly and at a more predictable rate than in the blood.

Detailed explanation-2: -Upon death the cornea slowly becomes hazy. The change in corneal opacity is believed to be secondary to the change in hydration and architectural destruction of the collagen fiber network, functional alteration of corneal endothelium, disregulation of proteoglycan hydration and ion concentration in corneal stroma.

Detailed explanation-3: -Serum and CSF potassium rises rapidly after death, but vitreous potassium levels rise gradually and linearly in the postmortem period.

Detailed explanation-4: -A method is proposed for estimating the time after death within the first 12 hours. Potassium is determined in samples of vitreous humour drawn separately from each eye at a known interval of hours. The values in mequiv/litre are plotted against the post-mortem interval (in hours).