Which term describes the discoloration seen due to hypostasis of blood?

• A. Livor mortis
• B. Hypostasis
• C. Dehydration
• D. Agglutination

Answer: (A)

Postmortem discoloration caused by blood settling under gravity is called livor mortis. When the heart stops circulating, red blood cells gravitate toward the body's dependent parts, producing a reddish-purple staining of those areas. This pattern helps investigators infer body position after death and whether the body was moved. The discoloration appears within the first hours after death and becomes fixed after several hours, though exact timing varies with temperature and other factors. Hypostasis is the mechanism that leads to this effect, dehydration is unrelated, and agglutination refers to clumping of cells in blood tests.