Which term is associated with the irreversible tissue death?

The term associated with irreversible tissue death is necrosis. This refers to the process in which cells and tissues undergo death due to various factors, such as injury, lack of blood supply, infection, or toxic substances. Unlike apoptosis, which is a form of programmed cell death that is a natural part of growth and development, necrosis is pathological and can lead to inflammation and further tissue damage in the surrounding area.

Understanding necrosis is crucial in fields such as mortuary science and medicine because it helps professionals recognize signs of tissue damage and death in both living patients and deceased individuals. This knowledge can impact decisions related to treatment, organ donation, or preparing remains for burial or cremation.

In contrast, the other terms associated with the choices denote different phenomena. Necrobiosis refers to a natural process of cell turnover and replacement, cadaveric spasm describes an immediate stiffening of muscles that can occur at or shortly after death, and postmortem change encompasses the physical and chemical changes that occur after death, such as rigor mortis or livor mortis. These processes are significant but pertain to different aspects of what occurs in biological tissues following death or injury.