decomposition

thumb|Decomposition of strawberries, reverse time lapse alt=African buffalo skull decomposing in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania|thumb|African buffalo skull decomposing in the [[Serengeti National Park, Tanzania]] thumb|A rotten apple after it fell from a tree thumb|Decomposing fallen nurse log in a forest

Decomposition is the process by which dead organic substances are broken down into simpler organic or inorganic matter such as carbon dioxide, water, simple sugars and mineral salts. The process is a part of the nutrient cycle and is essential for recycling the finite matter that occupies physical space in the biosphere. Bodies of living organisms begin to decompose shortly after death. Although no two organisms decompose in the same way, they all undergo the same sequential stages of decomposition. Decomposition can be a gradual process for organisms that have extended periods of dormancy.