The human body is teeming with life, a whole ecosystem of microbes. As they break down their brand-new food source—your dead body—the microbes give off gas made of VOCs, or volatile organic compounds. The prime stinkers here tend to be sulfur-containing compounds, which makes sense if you’ve ever experienced an especially potent and sulfuric eggy fart. Sulfur is the culprit in many a stink.
