Re: Do fingernails continue to grow after death?

Dear Bart,
	I have heard your question made as a statement of fact without ever
trying to examine its validity.  My usual human gross and microscopic
anatomy textbooks make no reference to this phenomenon.  However, the
autopsy pathology citation above states that, among the numerous
postmortem changes noted by physicians, significant drying of the body
starts a few hours after death, including the "APPARENT LENGTHENING OF
THE FINGER NAILS DUE TO SHRINKING OF THE (DRYING) FINGER TIPS."

	This does not exclude that some actual postmortem growth might still
occur, particularly in the four-times-more-rapidly-growing finger
nails, since both nails and hair are really just specializations of the
outermost skin layer called the STATUM CORNEUM.  This layer is composed
of innumerable, flattened, non-nucleated, keratin-laden cells that are
already dead after losing their nucleus!  It seems possible that this
"programmed cell death" might continue for several days, in spite of the
demise of the body as a whole; obviously no new living cells would be
available to "fuel" this process so that these nails would soon cease to
grow.  If interested in pursuing this further you might seek the
personal experience of medico-legal forensic pathologists (medical
investigators) attached to large metropolitan staffs where the need for
exhumation of recently-interred bodies does occur.
Thank you for this stimulus to go to the "books."  Good luck on your
life-long educational journey.

Sincerely,
Scott