You will need a valid passport if you are thinking about taking a vacation abroad, frequently travel outside of the US, have a job that will require international travel, or have family living overseas that you would like to visit. There are currently two types of documents for US citizens: passport books and passport cards.
A few hours after a person or animal dies, the joints of the body stiffen and become locked in place. This stiffening is called rigor mortis. Depending on temperature and other conditions, rigor mortis lasts approximately 72 hours. The phenomenon is caused by the skeletal muscles partially contracting. The muscles are unable to relax, so the joints become fixed in place.
Rigor mortis, or a stiffening of the body, sets in about two to six hours after death [source: Marchant, Middleton ]. While the body as a whole may be dead, little things within the body are still alive.