Which term is defined as a natural viscous substance formed from fatty acids found in decomposition, insoluble in water but soluble in most organic solvents?

Which term is defined as a natural viscous substance formed from fatty acids found in decomposition, insoluble in water but soluble in most organic solvents?

• A. Death wax
• B. Diagnosis
• C. Digestion
• D. Ethyl

Answer: (A)

Death wax, also known as adipocere, is a natural viscous substance formed during decomposition from fatty acids. It is insoluble in water but soluble in most organic solvents, which reflects its waxy, lipid-like nature. This substance forms in moist environments—cool, damp soil or underwater—through the saponification of fats, and it can slow decomposition by preserving tissues. The other terms don’t describe a decomposition product: diagnosis is a medical determination, digestion is a process of breakdown, and ethyl refers to a chemical group or solvent, not a decomposition wax.

Death wax, also known as adipocere, is a natural viscous substance formed during decomposition from fatty acids. It is insoluble in water but soluble in most organic solvents, which reflects its waxy, lipid-like nature. This substance forms in moist environments—cool, damp soil or underwater—through the saponification of fats, and it can slow decomposition by preserving tissues. The other terms don’t describe a decomposition product: diagnosis is a medical determination, digestion is a process of breakdown, and ethyl refers to a chemical group or solvent, not a decomposition wax.