Final answer:
Lividity refers to the pooling of blood caused by gravity, usually after death that leads to a color change in the lowest parts of the body. It is connected to the breakdown of hemoglobin and is utilized in forensic medicine to help determine the postmortem interval.
Step-by-step explanation:
Lividity is the pooling of blood due to gravity and leads to color change. This phenomenon is associated with the settling of blood in the lowest parts of the body after the heart stops pumping. It is a key indicator in forensic medicine, particularly in determining the time and position of death. The color changes that occur are due to the breakdown of hemoglobin, which can be seen in a variety of medical conditions like jaundice, where bilirubin builds up in the body due to liver issues, or the purplish color of a bruise from biliverdin released by damaged red blood cells (RBCs). Other related processes include the production of stercobilins, which give feces its brown color, and the yellow of urine from urobilins.