NBE Funeral Directing Practice Exam

What process describes Cremation?

1. Burial of a body in the ground

2. Reduction of a body to bone fragments by intense heat

3. Preservation of a body for viewing

4. Transporting a body to a burial site

The correct answer is: Reduction of a body to bone fragments by intense heat

Cremation is accurately described as the reduction of a body to bone fragments by intense heat. This process involves the application of high temperatures in a cremation chamber, which results in the combustion of organic matter and the evaporation of bodily fluids. The outcome is the conversion of the body into mineral remains, commonly referred to as ashes. This definition distinguishes cremation from other methods of handling remains, such as burial, which involves placing a body in the ground for decomposition. Preservation methods, such as embalming, aim to maintain the body's appearance for viewing and memorialization but do not involve heat. Additionally, transporting a body pertains to the logistics of moving it to a burial or cremation site, rather than the process itself of cremation or the transformation of remains. Therefore, the focus on intense heat and the reduction to bone fragments clearly characterizes cremation.